Life's Cheat Code
by Punkie-Spunk
Summary: AU Who would've thought DDR could change a life…or four? RikuSora, AkuRoku
1. Level 01

**A/N**: This took FOREVER to name... First, I went around looking around for acronyms for Dance, Dance Revolution but nothing worked... So, then I was catsitting (believe it or not) and then I started thinking to myself "Yanno self (XDDD), life needs cheat codes..." And then I created this title. I'm proud... so, what are you doing reading this for? STOP WASTING TIME!

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 01 Begin-

In all of the Arcades built along the streets of Twilight Town, only one ruled over all in it's size and capacity. The Sovereign Arcade. Over six-hundred machines lined the seven-hundred and fifty square-foot floor space and included it's own food shack, 4 bathrooms and 10 prize racks. Sovereign Arcade had every game known to humans...or at least every game that was graciously shipped here from Traverse Town.

One game ruled over the entire arcade. It held so much power just in it's entirety, that every gamer has at least tried it once. Knowing how to dance earned you your place in life. And knowing how to master Dance, Dance Revolution made you a God...

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Come on, Roxas, I'll go easy on you, I swear!"

"No, that's what you always say!" The blond boy turned his head from the brunet and pouted, sitting in one of the many stools used to play games that needed a seat.

"You're such a little chicken shit, I swear."

"Besides Sora, I don't want you molesting me again just to make me fall or something."

"Hey, you only fell because you lost balance." Sora said, selecting a song and selecting a difficulty, about ready to select two-player mode.

"And who bought you the icee afterwards?"

"...You did."

"Exactly. So stop whining. This one's easy, please?"

"...No."

"Fine." Sora turned back to face the screen and selected Doubles. Roxas groaned, tired of hearing the thundering bass, and decided to buy an icee, the sudden urge taking over him.

"I'll be back, okay? Don't break anything." Sora didn't acknowledge he had left and kept his stare at the screen.

Roxas walked passed the seemingly endless trail of loud machines, and up to the food shack, taking out 250 munny as he walked up to the counter and asked for a large bubblegum icee. He waited near the stand until they would yell out when it was ready. He stood silently with his arms crossed over his chest until he was finally given his drink. He stuck the straw in his mouth, and looked around at the people, noticing a clutter around one of the Dance, Dance Revolution machines, and one person in particular.

He was easily 6'2 in height, with a thin frame and flaming red hair. He stood watching the screen and cheering on the one who was playing. The crowd surrounding the machine screamed out as the one dancing was ready to enter his name into one the machine. Roxas finally blinked, and took a closer look at the one typing. Silver hair, and a little shorter than the red-haired boy. He looked a tad familiar...

Roxas suddenly noticed the red-haired boy coming closer to the food shack and he sucked in a harsh breath, in taking a ton of icee, leaving him with a brain freeze. He quickly walked away and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking back once and into jade eyes with small triangular tattoos just underneath. He quickly turned back, took a sigh and shoved the straw back into his mouth in search of Sora.

The brunet was still on In The Groove by the time Roxas took his stool back. Sora sighed in relief as the screen faded out and back in to the screen where scores are recorded. He entered S-O-R-A and selected enter and got off the dance pad and onto one of the stool next to Roxas. "So...you win again, I see?"

The brunet lightly glistened with a layer of sweat, "I'm just that good." he snatched Roxas' icee and gulped some down.

"Hey Sora...?" The blond asked, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Yup."

"How...did you find out that you were gay...?"

"Um...well I don't think girls are attractive...?" Sora took another gulp of the icee.

"I mean how did you first figure it out?"

"I found one of the guys in my English class attractive and I asked him out...and we dated for, um...about three months... Then we broke up and I asked another guy out... and that was the one I fucked. Yup..." He sighed again, knowing he must've psyched out the younger boy next to him.

He glanced down at him, Roxas' eyes still downcast in thought.

"Why do you ask?"

"I think...you're rubbing off on me or something..."

"Uh-oh..." Sora laughed mockingly, handing him his icee back.

"Who was it."

"I dunno...I couldn't talk to him, I freaked out and almost choked on _this-_" He held up the cup, "-and had a brain feeze and...left."

"Hmm...Well, would you know who it was if you saw him again?"

"Uh-huh..." Roxas bit down lightly on the straw.

"Okay, well come on." Sora grabbed his hand and dragged him off the stool. Roxas gave no struggle as the older boy dragged him toward the snack shack.

"Is this where you saw him?"

"Uh-huh." Roxas said, keeping the straw in his mouth.

"So...you see him anywhere?" The younger boy looked around, sighing in disappointment.

"No... Sora, can we go home now, please?"

"Aww, but Roxas-"

"_Please_?"

Sora sighed. "Okay...we can go home now."

He lead the younger boy out the door and into the blinding sun of the evening. "Ugh, why does it have to be hot?"

"Cause it's summer, genius." Roxas laughed, already beginning his way down the road with Sora shortly following.

"So, Roxas, what did that guy look like?" Sora asked the blond, still gulping down his icee.

"Well...he had really bright red hair...green eyes, and little tattoos underneath them, so I don't think I'll miss him if I see him again..."

"Tall?"

"Over 6 foot." Sora laughed,

"Yeah, that's pretty tall alright; compared to you, anyway."

"Hey!" Roxas lightly socked the older boy in the arm.

"And dude, you are just as weak as you are short."

"Sora knock it off!"

"Oh, testy." Sora ruffled the younger boy's hair, "I'm just kiddin'. You're a little too sensitive, too."

"Your mother."

Sora laughed again, rapping an arm around his shoulders, "What about her?"

"She's...actually really cool." Roxas laughed out loud. The two reached the corner in which their house separated and looked at each other.

"I'll come by tomorrow, okay? Hopefully that guy will be there again; if you like him, then there's gotta be something hot about him." Sora laughed and turned down his corner. "Bye, douchebag."

"See ya later, fucktard." Roxas answered, laughing to himself as he turned down the sidewalk toward his house.

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N**: I'm really proud of how I made up the coin thing and didn't have to use stuff like 'TBC?' or 'END HAHAHAHA" and some crazy shit like that...Yuuuuuuup...

And for the record? I am not an arcade type happy person. I go every saturday with my friends to the golfland arcade, but I play no games...So, either I'm a nerd for being in there, or a retard for not playing any games...o.o don't label me...XD

I also fear that I may turn Sora into a whore again...O.o?

ALSO...YES, I LOVE THE WORD **FUCKTARD**, SO THEREFORE I SHALL USE IT FREQUENTLY. SO NURR. AND ONLY NICOLE HAS PERMISSION TO SHARE IT WITH ME...CUZ SHE'S MY MYSPACE BUDDY...and stuff.

Oh yes and the **Munny** issue...Okay, I put a TON of thought into this, so I concluded since in Twilight Town in the game Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette's conversation leads to Pretzels and the cost around 300 munny. Now, on average the fricken huge pretzels they're talking about is about $3.00 here, so just take out the decimal in $3.00 to make...haza! 300 munny! So, I treat munny like pennies, I guess. One munny is one penny.

Well, here's chapter Uno, R+R?


	2. Level 02

**A/N**: Took FOREVER, just so yanno. -Glares at reflection- GET OUT OF YOUR CREATIVE SLUMP ALREADY, YOU LAZY FRICKEN 'TARD. And this is a rather long chapter... RoxasSora action ahead...

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 02 Begin-

Now Sora and Roxas agreed on two things, and two things only.

They agreed to never let **anything **come between them, such as their choices in dating, food, and video games.

And the second thing is Sea-Salt and/or Paupu-Explosion ice cream.

Roxas and Sora were incredibly alike. They can even be mistaken for the other by they're most closest friends. They both had brilliant blue eyes, and the only difference was their hairstyles and colors, and the fact Sora was two inches taller. The two could even finish each other's sentences on command if they wanted to.

Another difference is their tastes in music. Sora had the ear-shattering, heart-wrenching bass of a subwoofer permanently lodged in his head that usually went along with any high-energy Pop and Alternative song that reached him; hence why he could never get off the In The Groove machines. Roxas, however, preferred the heavy, loud, subliminal messaging of Rock and Metal. There were a few things the two could agree on in cases of music, but most of the time Sora had his iPod and was actually _singing _along to whatever song was playing...like now.

"The Venga Bus is comin', and everybody's jumpin', New York through San Francisco, an interstate free-disco, the wheels of steel are turnin', and traffic lights are burnin', so if you like to party, get on and move your body!" The brunet sang as he danced some random little dance he decided to make up on the spot. Roxas stood against the brick wall behind him, arms crossed and eyes downcast, trying to give off a hint that he just might not know the boy dancing obscenely in front of him. Sora was a great dancer, but... Well, he sometimes got carried away and would go and rape poles and make really _embarrassing_ noises...so, the boy had to be stopped.

"Sora...?"

"Uh-huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh...? We like to party, we like, we like to party...we like to party, we like, we like to party..." The brunet asked without breaking his lyrical roll. Although, he was seemingly thrusting his hips up in the air like just some horny guy on the streets.

"Wanna go get some ice cream?"

Sora stopped, and looked at the blond, "I'm embarrassing you, aren't I?"

"My treat!"

"Okay, okay fine!" He said, ruffling the younger boy's hair, "God, ruin all my fun why doncha."

"Hey, I'm buyin' you ice cream so shut up!" The two boys walked down the ice cream shop, and Roxas stopped to get out his wallet. Sora walked a little ahead to take a nice good look at the menu, although trying to avoid the fact he wanted his traditional Paupu-Explosion ice cream.

Roxas pulled out 500 munny, and caught up to the taller boy, "Know whacha want yet? Paupu-Explosion, got it!"

Sora turned to look at the younger boy, "Hey, I didn't say that!"

"You were."

"...God, am I really that predictable?"

Roxas laughed, heading up to the cashier and getting his ice creams. He handed the munny to the tall blond man and got his ice cream, and soon walked back to the waiting Sora and handed him his. "Thanks, kiddo!" Sora rapped an arm around the younger boy's shoulders and almost gave him a kiss on the cheek. Before Sora could register to do such a thing, the younger boy had moved to be back to back with the older boy.

"R-Roxas?"

"Shh!!"

"What're you-"

"Just. Don't. Move."

"...Why?" Sora started unwrapping his ice cream bar and shoved it in his mouth.

"Remember the guy from yesterday...?" Roxas asked, barely above a whisper, still trying to keep out of sight. "Uh-huh..."

"He's right..." The blond boy turned and pointed, "...over there..." and pressed his back against Sora again and quickly unwrapped his ice cream and gently bit it.

"Your heart beating fast, or is that me?" Sora asked, still trying to figure out who the younger boy was pointing to.

"I-it's me..."

"Oh...well, do you want to go and talk to him?"

"Nu-uh! We should leave! Say, right now!"

"Hold on, who were you pointing to?"

"Red hair, little tattoos underneath his eyes...bright, green eyes..." Sora glanced around the small crowd until a rather tall guy caught his attention that fit Roxas' description.

He was sitting with a blonde girl and guy with a mullet, all three just lounged around and burst into laughter every once in a while, although a few points the two guys would laugh and the redhead would get hit in the head by the blonde girl. There was another boy with them that looked like he was more detached from the group, and stood away from the others with his arms crossed.

"Who's the gray-haired kid?"

"Gray?" Roxas asked, looking around the taller boy and focused on the group and locating the taller boy. "That was the boy with him at the arcade on the DDR machine... He looks familiar...Ricky or something like that..."

"Kinda hot...DDR machine?"

"Yeah, yesterday. Looked pretty good, too..."

"We've gotta go there tomorrow...I think I have a way to get you with that red haired guy..."

"Y-you do?"

"I think so... But it'll cost you a movie and free stay over at your place, okay?"

"Deal. But Sora...you don't really have to do that."

"I want to, Roxas! You're my buddy! Besides, if you think you're turning gay, I wanna make sure so you can help me check out guys, okay?"

"Yeah...sure..." The younger boy agreed, leading the way back down the street to his place for a movie and to set up the futon in Roxas' room.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"White Chicks!" Sora announced, almost pouncing on Roxas' DVD collection. "Popcorn?" "And lots and lots of soda!" Sora said, continuing to sort through the stack of DVD's and searching for the movie. Roxas ran downstairs and started the popcorn and grabbed a couple of Pepsi's from the fridge. He found a large tub and set it next to the microwave to stuff it full of popcorn when it was ready. He nearly jumped when the resounding _Ding!_ rang in the kitchen and he filled the tub. He then dashed into the living room where the big screen TV was and DVD player. Sora soon came with the movie in hand and put it into the player and set back to turn it on with the remote.

The two sat on the couch and watched as the small dog nearly flew out the car window. "So...Roxas...where is mom?"

"Thursdays, her hours are 4PM to 4AM...wont be back until morning..."

"Mommy works hard." Sora laughed as he took another drink of his Pepsi.

_"My God! Your lip!"_

_"My God! Your nose!"_

"So...she'll be gone all night...?"

"Uh-huh...Why?"

"...No reason..." The taller boy said, cautiously settling his right hand on the blond's leg when he wasn't looking. Roxas did, however, notice after a moment and looked up at the brunet, "Sora?"

"I wanted to ask you, um..." Sora moved closer, keeping his hand on the blond's leg, "Have you ever...made out before?"

"What?"

"Yes or no question, Roxy, and be honest."

The blond boy felt heat rushing to his cheeks. Sora had the uncanny ability to change moods rather quickly when he wanted to become serious...

"N-no I-I don't think so..."

Sora laughed, "Must I teach you everything...?"

"What does-Mm!" The older boy leaned forward a little to touch lips with the younger boy before he pushed the brunet back, regaining his breath and yelping out "THAT MEAN??"

Sora chuckled, still holding onto the younger boy as to prohibit his movement, "If you really, really want the red-haired guy to like you, and since he's hanging out with a guy that I think I really want, then you have to learn how to play tonsil hockey so I don't look bad, alright?" Roxas stared blankly at the older boy with the soft pink hue still gracing his cheeks.

"Look, I know it's awkward to kiss your best friend, but just get over it for a second and when we're done, we can pretend it never happened..."

"O-okay..." Roxas whispered, letting himself being pushed back onto the couch with Sora shortly following, "Now, judging by how you're being submissive, I'd say you're a bottom..."

"And that means?"

"You'd take it."

"...Oh."

"So, this is probably how it'll be played out, on say, oh...the third date-"

"That soon!? And what do you mean?! You're not even sure he knows I exist! I don't even know his name!"

"First step: Relax." Sora said, pressing a finger to Roxas' lips to quiet him. "You saw that gray haired guy on the DDR machine, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"So he'll probably be there again tomorrow... And since he was hanging out with the red-haired guy that you like, then I could probably win you a date..." Roxas eyed Sora for a moment, "How would that work out?"

"Oh, you'll see..." Sora laughed again, pushing the shorter boy back onto his back on the couch. " But for now, you need a lesson. Now like I was saying, this is how it may be played out on the third date. You may be offered to go to his place, and say yes, okay?"

"Yeah...?"

"And you say yes. I'm not trying to get you seduced or anything, but this will put major bonus points toward a long term relationship. And what happens usually when you go to someone else's place...?"

"...Make out?"

"Yes! Good boy. Now, since you don't know the first thing about kissing-"

"Yes I do!"

"-Then I will be your personal trainer for the time being, alright? First step: Relax...Then he'll probably try to get close to you, like this..." The brunet leaned forward a little so the Roxas could feel his breath on his neck, "Accept I don't think he will be on top of you...it all depends..." Sora paused to take a short laugh, "Next, he'll...well probably just give you a peck...and by any means, keep your eyes closed if he does."

"What if he's just staring at me...?"

"Stare at him back until one of you caves in molests the other..."

"Oh..."

Sora leaned even more forward, both boy's noses barely touching. "...And that's when you do the rest."

"Wh-what?"

"You know, if he's close enough, give him a hint that you want him." Roxas stared at Sora blankly for another moment.

"And that hint would be...?"

"A peck or so." The younger boy bit his lip in thought for a second before thrusting up forward slight and chastely kissing the unsuspecting Sora's lips. He pulled back and glanced up at the older boy, and taking note of his reaction.

"Like that?"

"...Just like that. And hopefully, if all goes well, he'll return it, and that's when the real fun starts, okay?"

"O-okay...So..."

"Now, before I change my mind, peck me again, okay?" Roxas obliged, giving the taller boy yet another small, innocent kiss on the lips, earning his own shortly after. The younger boy felt Sora's tongue slickly glide over his own lips and involuntarily opened them, granting the older boy entrance.

The blond gave a small gasp when he felt Sora's hands begin to knead his sides, sending some sort of haze over his thoughts. He tried to keep mental notes of what to do, but keeping a straight head with Sora's hands squeezing his hips and his tongue dancing around like it was proved to be...difficult.

Okay, now it was getting awkward.

Roxas pushed the other boy away slightly, trying to regain his breath, "Alright, alright! I know what to do!"

"Good! Now if you don't mind, I want my popcorn!" Sora reached over the younger boy and grabbed the tub of popcorn, sprung back to his seat and began eating again. Roxas sat up and tried to straighten his clothes, glancing over at the amused Sora then at the television.

_"What's up, money? You got a problem? What you looking at my ass for? No, yo, hold my poodle. What's up? Y'all got a problem? Y'all want some of this? You want some of this, punk? What, boy?" _

"Sora?"

"What."

"That never happened."

"Gotcha."

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+ _

**A/N**: Okay, is everyone aware of Marine World? Six Flags Marine World? If not you either don't live in California, or you live underneath a rock...but that's not the point. The commercial to advertise the park has a nice, catchy song to it called "We Like To Party" by the Vengaboys. Now, this is the song Sora is singing, and if you're anything like me, -probably not- then weird, annoying little songs like that make you laugh and you just HAPPEN to have limewire, and download them...

There's my rant for the day...anyhow, good funny little song, go download! That should keep you occupied long enough to stall for chapter 3...heheheh...don't expect it soon...

In the meantime, R+R?


	3. Level 03

**A/N**: Sorry for the long update. Chapter four was a bitch...But to tide you over, here's chapter three!

**Life's Cheat Code  
**-Level 03 Begin-

"Stop hyperventilating."

"I-I can't..."

"Roxas, just knock it off!"

"S-sorry...I'm just nervous...I mean what if they don't-"

"Trust me, they will."

Sora sat patiently on a stool playing Tekken 5 with the blond boy sitting next to him with yet another bubble-gum icee in his mouth and a blush on his cheeks. Sora cursed when GAME OVER appeared on the screen, followed by, "Fucking Kangaroo..." The brunet spun around in his seat and sighed, looking up at the younger boy. "You okay? You look a little...flushed."

Roxas sighed and took the straw away from his mouth, and offered it to the older boy, who took it without hesitation.

"Try to calm down, alright? You're making it look like you're my slave and that you're here because I would beat you if you didn't."

"Well, technically..."

"Threatening you with a throw pillow doesn't count."

"Oh..."

Sora laughed, and took another drink of the icee, "Why do you buy these things, anyway?" Roxas looked up at the older boy absent mindedly, "Because they have no ice cream...at least Sea-Salt...it's the next best thi-" The younger boy glanced up mid sentence toward the double doors and sucking the last bit of icee he had left.

"Told you they'd show."

Sora said, trying not to draw attention to him and the younger boy as the redhead and silver haired boys walked by with their crowd, which proved to be difficult on the account of the older boy's choice in clothes today. He was abnormally gothed-out, to put it simply, with the black sleeveless shirt, heavy tripp shorts and boots, added with plain black wrist bands and a Celtic ring on his left ring finger.

And for the record, Sora does shave his legs. He was just _that gay_.

Roxas was clothed with his normal band t-shirt and jeans along with his checkered wristband and two little bands around his middle and index fingers on his left hand. He looked down at the floor and tried to ignore the glances from the crowd behind the two boys and looked up again once Sora tapped his shoulder. "He looked at you, yanno..."

Roxas perked up after a soft gasp and glanced at the crowd's trail as it disappeared behind a few machines. "He did?" "Totally." Sora laughed, grabbing the younger boy by the arm and all but dragged him toward where the crowd had gone, making Roxas drop the empty icee cup. "Uh, Sora? Where we goin'?" "Where do ya think? I'm still gonna win you that date, Roxas, I know how they work; play DDR against ol' green-eyes and if ya win you can get a prize. Lose, and you gotta give something up."

Roxas stopped, taking the older boy with him, "...Where'd you learn all that?"

Sora smiled, and continued to pull the boy with him, "Internet, now c'mon."

The two boys eventually found the crew piled around another DDR machine cheering and clapping. It was hard to determine who was on the machine, due to the growing crowd around them. Sora lead Roxas around the crowd to get a better look at who was playing, and had to stand on his toes just to get a glimpse of silver hair and black. Sora scoffed, "Okay, I can't even see, you have no chance."

Roxas glared at the older boy's teasing smile and glanced around the crowd again as Sora tried to get a good look at the players. The younger boy suddenly felt the need to go to the bathroom, and glanced up at Sora; the older boy wouldn't mind if he was gone for a little while. He waded through the crowd, trying to remember where the nearest bathroom was before being stopped dead in his tracks, staring into jade-green eyes and just as a surprised look as his. Red hair bounced as he stood up straight, and towered over the blond boy as he looked up in amazement, feeling heat rushing to his cheeks.

The taller male smiled, leaning down to Roxas' level, "Wanna get out of here?"

The younger boy blushed and nodded while letting the taller boy take his hand and lead him out of the crowd. Once they were a good distance away from the DDR game, the taller boy let out a laugh. "Crowds just build up around that guy... Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before?" He laughed again as he glanced down at the dumbfounded blond boy, "...I'm Axel." He stuck out his hand and the younger boy's glance quickly turned to it, and hesitantly grabbed it and added "R-Roxas..."

Axel lead the younger boy to the wall that paralleled the DDR machine and sat down against it with Roxas shortly joining him. He sighed again, "Yup. Riku sure knows how to draw attention to himself." He shook his head and laughed.

"Riku?" Roxas piped up, turning to look at the red-head. "Silver hair, green eyes, can't miss 'im. My best friend. He's up there on the machine, see?" Axel pointed. Roxas followed the older boy's finger and soon noticed the silver haired boy in question.

"Yup, that's Riku. He's gotten so into the Dance, Dance Revolution thing, it's starting to drive me crazy." "Tell me about it... My best friend Sora never gets off In The Groove..." The two laughed as the crowd suddenly went completely wild and the two on the machine shook hands.

The black haired boy sighed as he reached into his wallet and grabbed 1000 munny and handed it to him. "He didn't strike it rich this time...oh well, maybe the next sap will shove out more." Axel laughed again, leaning back against the wall and putting his hands behind his head.

"Is there anyone else who wants to try?" Riku said from the stage of the DDR machine. Roxas noticed the crowd become quiet, and only one hand shooting into the air.

The younger boy recognized the tight, plain black wristband clenched around said single arm.

"He's really gonna do it..."

"You say somethin'?"

"Uh-er-no! Nothing at all!" The younger boy smiled up at Axel, feeling heat rush to his cheeks again when he returned the smile.

"Oh, oh!! Pick me, pick me!" Sora shouted happily, the people around him slightly taking steps back to clear a path to the stage.

"Um...okay, you then." Riku said quizzically, jumping when the spastic boy made it onto the stage and took his place. "Hi! I'm Sora." The brunet greeted, putting his hand out to shake the silver haired boy's. Riku took it carefully and cleared his throat, "Okay, if I win, I want a thousand munny, deal?"

"Deal. And if I win..." Sora scanned the crowd, "I want _your_ best friend," He pointed at Axel on the wall as the red head perked up. "To take _my_ best friend out on a date." He then pointed to the blushing blond boy. "Sound fair?"

The crowd and Riku were silent, who glanced over at the two boys on the wall and then back to Sora. "Well that's not just worth a thousand munny then... If I win..." Riku pulled the brunet closer and whispered in his ear. Sora's expression lightened as Riku pulled away, a smile gracing both of their faces.

"Oh geez, I'll do that anyway, win or lose." He said, stepping back onto his stage and watching Riku pull up two player mode and songs, and selecting Random. The difficulties sprang up and Riku chose Maniac, adding "Think you can handle that, Sora?"

"God, is that the hardest difficulty?" Sora asked, crossing his arms over his chest and laughing. Riku frowned, taking his position on the right stage.

Roxas sat with his back against the wall, thoroughly flushed and tried to keep his eyes away from Axel. That was certainly embarrassing. "Was that, uh...your best friend?"

The blond boy looked up finally at the redhead and nodded, "Th-that's Sora..."

"A bit of a spaz, isn't he?" Axel said, earning a nod from the younger boy.

"So...did you put him up to that, er-"

"No, that was his idea... I think he likes Riku..." The younger boy chuckled, hearing the crowd quieting down until the screen on the DDR machine became dark...

**A+...A-. You Rock! **

The crowd gasped, and watched for a reaction. Riku stared at the screen first, then to the smiling brunet boy. Sora sighed loudly, turning to Riku with an evil grin. Riku, on the other hand, stood with his mouth agape and glancing from the screen to Sora.

"Does, uh...your buddy have a car?" The brunet asked. The older boy blinked, "Y-yeah..." "Great! Hey Roxy!" The boy shouted, holding onto the back ramp and waving to him, "He's got a car!"

The blond boy groaned, trying to hide his flushed cheeks. Axel laughed again, "Well, that's one way to get a date, alright..."

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+ _

**A/N:** And the Sora shaving his legs thing, ya gotta admit that's hot. Seriously. Friends of mine have FORESTS growing on their legs (Eric...XDD)...so yeah!

And I know I just started describing clothes...I hate describing clothes with a PASSION...but I shall start doing that more often so you all don't get images of 14 year old Sora running around in his red jumpsuit or something...ick.


	4. Level 04

**A/N**: This was a lot of fun writing, but a BETCH to plan out...and I still don't think I got it right...oh well, go ahead and read, whatcha waitin' fer?

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 04 Begin-

Sora smiled as the two stared at their reflections in Roxas' double-wide mirror. Sora's expression was light and happy, only amplified by the cheesy grin he wore. Roxas, however, looked a bit scared to look at his reflection...and his clothes.

The blond boy was clad in long, green cargo pants, a green sleeveless shirt and his usual Vans. He did refuse to take off his checkered wristband and rings, but Sora managed to get him a single Livestrong band on his right arm. Sora was rather proud of the fact that he dressed Roxas himself, and sighed in relief, and glanced at the clock.

"Almost seven. Try not to panic, okay Roxy?"

"...Too late. Sora, this'll never work, I mean, wh-what do I do? What do I say?" Sora put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"Roxy, I think you need some gum."

"...What?"

Sora smiled again, giving the younger boy a peck on the cheek and then walking to his nightstand. He opened the drawer, and pulled out a small, light green pack.

"Hey...how'd you know-"

"Ya think I haven't been through your stuff? How'd ya think I knew where that shirt was!" Sora laughed, taking a small piece of gum and unwrapping and putting in Roxas' slightly-open mouth. "Chew it, dummy."

Roxas complied, chewing the small watermelon piece of Trident gum and sighed. "I look like a dork, Sora."

"Well if you do, then you are one sexy dork, okay? Have I ever steered you wrong when I dressed you?" The older boy rapped an arm over the blond's shoulders and laughed. The younger boy turned back to the mirror and sighed at his reflection, meeting Sora's eyes. The brunet put both hands on the other boy's shoulders, "Relax. He liked you enough to offer to pick you up and take you to the movies, right? Just...try not to make things up about yourself if he asks, and that's all the advise I can give you before the second date..."

Door bell.

"Jesus, Roxas, you just got as tense as a rock!"

"Oh God..."

The blond boy straightened and flew out of his bedroom door and nearly tumbled down the stairs. All movement ceased when he reached the door, eyes wide as he stared at it.

"Go for it, Roxy!" Sora whispered from the top of the stairs. Roxas sighed, and turned the handle and pulled it gently and looked up, first being met with flaming red hair and jade green eyes.

"Hey Roxas. Ready to go?"

Roxas smiled as he looked up at the taller male and nodded. He pulled the door closed behind him, and followed the redhead out to his car.

Sora took a much needed sigh of relief, and glanced at the clock still visible from Roxas' room. He stood up and ran for the window that overlooked the driveway and watched as Axel's blue car sped away.

The brunet gulped and ran out of the room, down the stairs, opened the front door and checked under the mat for the spare key before locking and shutting the front door. He sprinted down alleys and over a brick wall to get back to his own house. Upon coming to the front door, he stopped and breathed, scoping out the front sidewalk and making sure no certain _important_ cars were outside just yet.

"Now it's my turn to panic." He breathed, turning the handle and opening the door. He closed it behind him, and glanced around the living room first, then into the kitchen, in search of his mother that was _supposed _to be home by now. He searched the house, realizing that he was the only one home.

Sora gulped again as he raced toward his room and found some black and neon green tripp shorts and a skin-tight Nightmare Before Christmas shirt with Jack all over the front and Nightmare written underneath. He found his favorite Invader Zim wristband, and Celtic good-luck ring, and proceeded to the bathroom to brush his teeth and fix his train wreck of a hairstyle.

After a moment, he stood with hair gel on his hands, roaming through his hair and a toothbrush in his mouth. After he was sure he wasn't going to die of sheer embarrassment, he rinsed his hands and mouth. His hair bounced as he looked up at the clock that hung overhead. 7:24.

"Shitshithshitshitshit!" he called, frantically trying to find his RAZR and wallet, looking at his drawer for a second, and grabbing a small trojan box and looking at it. "Nah." He said, putting the box back inside the drawer and standing up straight in front of the mirror on his door.

Snaps, he still needed shoes...

He ducked underneath his bed and found his plain black and white converse, after pushing his polka dotted and bright pink ones out of the way. He laced them up, and stood in front of the mirror again. Something was...missing.

He reached along the top of the white shelves on his walls until a box hit his hand and he brought it down. It was nothing special, just a black box. He opened it and stared at the shining silver crown necklace hidden inside. He took it out carefully and placed it around his neck, and his outfit was complete...

Just in time for the damn doorbell to echo through the surprisingly empty house.

Sora gulped one last time before shutting the light off in his room, and trying not to pound down the stairs. He went up to the door with one more look around the kitchen and living room and opened the door, and smiled. "Hi Riku!"

Riku stuffed his hands into the pockets of his black Dickies. He had a dress shirt on with vertical maroon and gray stripes and a watch on his right arm. "Hungry?" The silver haired boy asked, feeling Sora grab his hand after closing the front door behind him, "Starving!"

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Anything in particular you wanna see, Roxas?" Axel asked, looking for a parking space in front of the Southgate Mall.

Roxas slightly blushed, trying to keep looking out the window, "W-well, um...I kinda wanted to see John Tucker Must Die..."

The blond boy turned as Axel snorted, "_That _one?" Roxas furrowed his brows adorably, "Hey, you have to agree that Penn Badgley is hot." Axel snorted again as he found his desired parking space near the theater entrance, "Yeah, okay, you're right...I'd do him." Axel turned to meet Roxas' sudden curious, yet distraught face with one eyebrow raised and his lower lip jutting out.

The redhead chuckled a little, and turned the key in his car off, "I'm kidding."

"I knew that!"

Axel opened the door and stepped out, followed by the blond boy. As both doors shut, the taller man pulled out his keys again and flicked the alarm on. "John Tucker Must Die, it is."

He walked with his hands in his pockets with Roxas along side him to the ticket booth, and paid for the two of them. After they tromped up to the second floor theaters and gotten pop corn, they waltzed into the theater and chose seats near the back. The movie had already been out or a week, and the theater was surprisingly empty. So much that they were almost the only ones there.

"Popcorn?" Axel asked, offering the large bag to the younger boy. Roxas glanced up at it and took it from his hands and set it in his own lap. He grabbed a handful and shoved it in his mouth.

The taller male laughed, and reaching again for his own handful, "You're really cute when you eat, yanno that?"

Roxas halted his movement, which was in the middle of eating a single piece of popcorn with his mouth wide open, and glanced up at the redhead. Axel's smile only widened when a pink hue appeared over the younger's cheeks. Axel leaned down, planting a small kiss on the blond boy's cheek, making the already beaming blush amplify.

The taller boy chuckled, and grabbed another handful of popcorn and ate it. Roxas looked down into the bag of popcorn and tried to keep the burning smile hidden.

The lights dimmed and the screen lit up, making both teens look up at it. Axel sighed, and sat back in his chair while Roxas leaned his head over onto the older boy's shoulder.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"I love Hometown!" Sora squealed as they entered the double doors of the restaurant followed by Riku. Riku paid for a booth and they took their seats.

"We'll get dinner in a second...I wanna know how you managed to beat me on Wednesday." Riku said, propping his head up on his palm.

Sora shrugged, "Because I play In The Groove, and it's a lot harder. It wasn't a bad lose though, Riku." Sora moved closer to the older boy in the booth. "Aren't you glad you did, though?" While the older boy was looking down at the table, he smiled, and glanced up into beryl, captivating eyes, a bottom lip caught between teeth and soft brown bangs dangling in an angel's face.

"I'm glad." The older boy then gently wrapped an arm around the younger boy's waist, bringing him closer. Sora reached up and pressed his petal lips to Riku's pale cheek, earning his own a moment later.

"R-Riku...?"

"Uh-huh..."

"I'm hungry."

"Good! Me too." Riku was first to stand up, and head over to the bars loaded with fresh, hot food. Sora followed on the older's heals, and was first to grab a plate and start browsing around the mouth-watering entrees.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Axel...?"

"Hmmph..."

"You're not asleep, are you?"

"N-no, I'm just resting my eyes, silly."

_"...This is my other girlfriend. I think we can make things work out."_

Axel gently slid his eyes open again, gently blinking at the steadily growing lights in the theater. Roxas was first to stand up, and stood in front of the older male, "It's okay. You didn't miss anything. Accept for Penn Badgley, but he wasn't very good." Roxas giggled, leaning forward, and kissing the redhead's cheek.

Axel stood and yawned after a moment, and ruffled Roxas' blond locks before starting his way out of the theater, the shorter boy following suit. Axel got in his car, and unlocked the doors for the younger boy.

"So, how old are you, Roxas?"

The blond was a little startled by the odd question, but decided not to make things up about himself, "Well how old do I look? I'm fifteen."

Axel hummed, "I'm nineteen... You don't think that will be much of a problem, do you?"

"Not at all." The younger boy said, looking out the window at the passing lights. He glanced at the clock. 9:20. He tried stifling the yawn suddenly escaping him, and wiped away the small tears in his eyes. "Not used to staying up this late?"

"I'm always up later than this, I think it's now just starting to get to me." Roxas laughed, and glanced up at the redhead. "I had fun, Axel. We should do this again..."

"Just as long as we don't go see another movie with Jesse Metcalfe in it." Axel stated, making Roxas laugh, "Okay, I admit, that was my fault. Never again will I drag you to see something like that again."

"Is it a date, Roxas?"

"Definitely."

The two laughed as Roxas' house came into view. Roxas stepped out first, followed by Axel, and they stopped at his doorstep. "So, um... I dunno, maybe next time we could go...get lunch or something...?"

"I'd love to." Roxas whispered, gently leaning up and wrapping his slim arms around the older boy. He felt Axel's hands snake around his middle, and his lips touch his own in a small, simple kiss that ended just as quickly as it started. Roxas stood straight, still looking into Jade green eyes. The older blinked once, ruffled the blond's hair, "You free Tuesday?"

"Yeah..." Roxas answered, hearing Axel laugh. "Can I pick you up at one?" "Sounds perfect."

With one last embrace, Axel started his car and drove off, and Roxas opened his door with the key from underneath the mat. He first collapsed on the couch, and sighed happily.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Told you I can eat more than you can." Sora stated, drinking the last bit of his Dr. Pepper.

Riku laughed, still working on his slice of cheesecake. "Honestly, I have no idea where you put it all."

Sora laughed, "Metabolism. Runs in the family." He sat back in the booth and sighed. "But I'm sure that that's a story you don't want to hear."

"Well, isn't that the way to make one curious. C'mon, you can tell me on the way home, okay?"

"Okay." Sora agreed, following the older boy as he stood, paid the last of the bill, and walked to his car. Sora got in and sighed as Riku started it and pulled out of the parking lot. "So, what were you saying about Metabolism?" "Huh? Oh...yeah. Um...well, my mother tells me that my father's side of the family had fast metabolisms. I never did get a chance to meet my father, though... He took off when I was young and left my mother all by herself to take care of me."

Sora paused, trying to keep looking outside the window. "But that's all ancient history. I've gotten over it; it's really no big deal now."

Riku was silent for a moment, "Um...Both my parent are still together...and their just waiting until I'm eighteen to kick me out so they can turn my room into a rec room." The silver haired boy laughed along with Sora's slight giggle. "I don't think my mom will let me leave. But she knows I can handle myself."

"Oh?" Riku questioned. "Yes, as a matter of fact I can. Because I know how to make...toast." Sora said triumphantly, sitting back in the seat with a grin.

"...Toast?"

"If you know how to make toast just the right way, without burning it, a little butter and sometimes Jelly, then life will come easily." Sora began, taking a brief pause, "The IRS is like Toast. A little flaky and can really leave a bad taste in your mouth. Taxes are like toast. They both need to be evenly buttered so there isn't too much and not too little."

"Wouldn't too little taxes be a good thing?"

Sora laughed, "For us yes, for the economy, no. It would collapse in on itself and drive the rest of the world crazy. And that's why the Economy is like toast too-"

"I'm getting hungry again."

"I don't see where you put it all either, Riku."

The older boy grinned as he kept his eyes on the road. The rest of the way was silent until the car stopped in front of Sora's house, and up to Sora's doorstep, "Thanks Riku, I had fun."

"So...what would you say to a second date...?" Riku asked as a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.

"I knew you wouldn't regret losing to me..." The brunet said, followed by a short laugh. He glanced up at the taller boy, feeling his smile falter when Riku came closer. Sora agreed with the motion, inching his own way toward the older boy. Sora cupped Riku's cheek as their lips gently brushed together once, before turning hungry and fiery as tongues met and breaths hitched.

After a moment, they parted, only to clash back for one last round. Riku released for air, gently panting and staring into Sora's hypnotic eyes, realizing his hands had begun to 'wander'. One was gently inching up the left side of Sora's shirt, and one was planted firmly on the other boy's ass entirely. Riku blinked before releasing Sora completely, "S-sorry..."

"Happens all the time, don't feel bad." Sora laughed, gently kissing Riku on the cheek. "Thank you, Riku."

"N-no problem..." The boy stuttered, feeling Sora's soft lips press against his cheek.

Sora began to open the door to his house, but stopped and looked back at the other boy. "Um...call me if you wanna do it again sometime, alright?"

"Okay. Goodnight, Sora."

"Goodnight Riku..."

Sora turned back to his house and closed the door, silently watching from the blinds to see the car drive away. He gabbed a pillow and screamed in it childishly. He collapsed on his couch, reaching for the house phone, and dialing a number he knew all too well.

"Roxas? Yeah, it's me. Guess what? He-"

"-actually did kiss me once, in the theater. Innocent little-"

"-one, right on the lips, too! I swear, Sora, I think I might just be in-"

"-love that feeling, yanno? It's nice to be wanted. Plus, guy's got the nicest ass I have ever seen."

_"We are DEFINITELY doing it again." _

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+ _

**A/N:** FLUUUUUUUUUUUUUFF...and just the other day before I was done with this I got my hair dyed a really nice shade of red! So I am happeh.

And the JTMD line, I dunno if it's official or not. And that movie totally sucked, btw...

And the phone conversation goes in this order: Sora, Axel, Roxas, Riku, then all at once...in case no one got it. No one was supposed to and I wanted a review saying "WTF MATE?" But..well I guess I'm explaining it here.

R+R?


	5. Level 05

**A/N**: Yanno, going for the whole "Sora/Badass/ I-Know-What-I'm-Doing" type thing isn't as hard as he looks...and I really hate all the stories about him being such a little uke...don't get my wrong, he's the best being on BOTTOM, I just hate how he's treated like such a girl...okay, what am I talking about...?

**Life's Cheat Code  
**  
-Level 05 Begin-

Abiding Axel's request, Roxas kept his eyes closed, feeling a sudden temperature change, and it was obvious the two were now inside. With Axel's hand guiding him, Roxas followed the redhead until he stopped, the older's hand loosening from Roxas', causing a slight panic. "A-Axel?"

"Hold on, don't open your eyes yet, okay?" The redhead said, followed by a light peck on the cheek. He grabbed the blond's hand again and led him further.

"Roxas, you can open your eyes now." He said with a whisper into the younger's ear. Roxas opened his eyes slowly and blinked once, eyes widening when the enormous roller rink came into his view. Bright lights reflected off the shined flooring, music gently coming from the high speakers, and couples skating on the shiny floor. Roxas gasped gently, feeling Axel's hands snaking onto his shoulders. "C'mon, I'll rent your skates."

"B-but!" Roxas began as Axel grabbed his wrist. "It's alright; I didn't expect you to know how to roller skate. I'll teach you, it'll be fun." They walked up to the counter, checked a few shoe sizes and rented two pairs of roller skates. Axel slipped his on, and helped Roxas relace his and they stood at the entrance of the rink.

"Well?"

"I'm going to fall straight on my ass."

Axel laughed, "I'll be there to catch you, I promise." The redhead gently tugged on the younger's wrist, and onto the rink. Roxas unsteadily rolled onto the rink with a slight yelp in surprise. The rink was surprisingly empty...only about three or four couples all together, rolling gracefully counterclockwise along the glossy floor.

Nearly half way around, Roxas' hand still in Axel's, the blond lost his balance and yelped as he slid a little further past the redhead. "It's okay, you're not doing it wrong." Axel said, followed by a laugh, "Just push out with your feet,"

The redhead flew past the younger and turned gracefully on his skates, "C'mon Roxy, come 'nd get me!"

Roxas stared wide-eyed at the stationary redhead, looking down at his own steady feet. He pushed his own right foot forward gently, pulling the left one after it and then glancing up at the grinning Axel. He lost balance, but was able to skate forward enough to catch up to the older. Axel again grabbed the blond's hand and led him along the rink, easily keeping him on his feet and up to his pace.

"Axel?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm hungry."

_**/L-C-C\**_

Judging by how late it was, and how far away Sora's house was, and how Riku wasn't really in a 'position' to drive at the moment, Sora might've had to stay the night.

At Riku's place, with no parents.

After their potential seventh date in the past three weeks of knowing each other, the two came to Riku's house with the intentions of coming in, Sora getting a slow, short tour, and then Sora would be off to go home.

It didn't turn out that way, however.

Riku was captured under the brunet's looming blue eyes, and full out tackled him onto the couch and the two were found in the same position almost an entire half an hour later.

Sora moaned gently against the older boy's lips, feeling his hands heading south along his slim hips and resting on the brunet's thighs. Riku was fully pressed against the younger boy, making any 'less talked about' places highly noticeable, and the slightest movement trigger a rainbow of sensations through both boys. Riku, reminding himself of said sensations, thrust his hips upward into the blue-eyed boy, both mouths parting for an instant to moan in concert. Eyes stayed closed as Riku gently leaned his head down onto the younger's shoulder to regain his breath, ignoring the small saliva rivulet trailing from the corner of his mouth.

Riku gently swiped it away with one of his wrists and sighed, gently breathing against the equally spent brunet boy beneath him. Sora opened his hazy eyes and sighed deeply, "Is th-that all you got...?"

Riku sat up, still trying to catch his breath, "Wh-what?"

"A meager half hour, and you're sitting here like that's all ya got."

"I-I'm not done!" Riku protested, furrowing his eyebrows in what looked like a Riku-pout. Very cute, very unlike _Riku_. Sora laughed, cupping the older boy's cheek, "What, were you afraid you would suffocate me or something...?"

Riku gently blushed, "Kind of..." Sora scoffed, stroking his cheek with his thumb, "So, you honestly think I have never done this before?"

Riku blinked and stared at the younger boy, caught suddenly off guard with a deep, chaste kiss, feeling the younger's hands snaking around his neck to bring him closer. Sora's tongue grazed the older boy's lips and after a moment was granted access, happily plunging into a temporarily-submissive, and extremely _horny _Riku. Within the next few moments, Sora had somehow flipped the two over and was now the dominant one, straddling the older boy's hips, trailing the heated kiss south to his neck.

He gently pushed the collar of Riku's shirt out of his way in his wake of starting a hickey. Riku gave somewhat of a struggle before he gave in to the sensations coursing through his body.

Sora was good. And he _knew_ it.

A single bite made the silver haired boy moan into the air of the quiet, empty house. Riku hooked his thumbs into the younger boy's belt slots on his pants, bringing their hips into closer contact, creating another concert of gentle gasps. Sora finished leaving his mark on the older boy, and sat on Riku's thighs while looking up at him. Their eyes met before Riku sat up and joined their lips together again, and moaning once he found Sora's hand inching closer to the button on his pants. With Sora's hand guiding him, Riku laid back down again, and Sora was able to release the button and zipper of the older boy's jeans.

"I can go on for _hours_, Riku, are you sure you can keep up with me?"

_**/L-C-C\**_

The next day, Roxas and Sora had made plans to just wander around town, with Sora and his blaring iPod and no respect for the thoroughly offended people around him at the park as he danced and sang to what_ever_ song that boy had playing...

"Dear Lord..." Roxas muttered, covering his right eye with his palm in sympathy for himself and the older boy as he just blissfully danced and sang.

"Oh, you touch me tra-la-la...Hmm, my ding-ding-dong..." Sora sang in perfect key, pole dancing as he did so, and causing Roxas to nearly have a seizure.

"You tease me, oh please me, I want you to be my love toy-" Sora said, running up to the younger boy and grabbed him by the collar, "Come near me, don't fear me, I just can't get enough of you, boy...Oh, you touch me tra-la-la."

"Ugh, Sora! Knock it off!" The blond boy pushed Sora off of him, in fear of another make-out session, and scoffed, "Jesus, I have a _boyfriend_, yanno."

Sora stood straight, and took out one earphone, and laughed, "Me too, _yanno_. Does that mean that Axey-Waxy has you whipped?"

"...If anything, I've got _him_ whipped."

"Good boy! Just like I taught you!" Sora ran up, and hugged the younger boy tightly. Roxas giggled as Sora let him go, and looked up at him, "So, whatcha doin' later, Sora?"

Sora reached into his pocket and paused the iPod, taking it out and wrapping the strings around it, "It's Monday, what do you think I'm doing later...?" He replied, his voice becoming slow, soft and sheltered.

Roxas widened his bright blue eyes at the older boy, "Y-you mean you haven't _quit_ yet...?" "No, Roxas, I haven't...Munny's too good, and...I-I just can't help it..."

"But-but Sora!-"

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head, Roxy, I'll be fine. How long has it been now, a year and a half? I know what to look out for..." Sora smiled sadly down at the blond boy, and sighed, "I-I know, I should quit...but it'll only be for a little while longer...I need a little extra, okay...? Oh, and whatever you do, Roxas, you have to swear that you won't tell a-"

"I never have and I never will, Sora...But I think they're going to wonder where all your 'pole dancing' skills came from..." Roxas smiled, and crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the taller boy. Sora sighed, brushing the bangs from his eyes and placing the same hand on his hip. "It's just...not that easy..."

"When's your shift this time...?" Roxas asked, following the trudging brunet to a bench in the park and sat next to him. "Erm...8:30...?"

"That's in an hour, Sora! 8:30 until _when_?" Roxas crossed his arms again, watching Sora gently nibble at his thumbnail, glancing up at the blond then to the seemingly FASCINATING tree next to them...

"ThreeorsomethingIdunnotheydidn'treallytellme..."

"_Three AM_!?" The younger boy shouted, standing from the bench and in front of the older boy, "Sora! How is Mommy-Mayuka taking all this, huh?"

"I told mommy I was...washing cars..."

Roxas dropped his shoulders, narrowing his eyes at the taller boy, "...Until three in the morning...?"

"She _bought_ it..."

"So_ra._" Roxas sat back onto the park bench, and sighed. "Yanno...you don't _have _to work there..."

It was Sora's turn to sigh. The older boy glanced up at the blond, "Yeah, of course I know that, but... Roxas, it's just NOT easy to quit..."

After a moment of two stares, one a slight glare and the other stubborn and calm, Roxas exhaled deeply, "Okay...fine. I just wont bug you about it anymore..."

Sora smiled, "Good...So, off to a better note, how did your date go last night?"

"He took me to go roller skating..." Roxas murmured, uttering a laugh as the boy sat up straight. "I kept falling, and then I got hungry. I let him feed me french fries, just like you said."

"Good boy." The brunet said, patting the younger one on the head and snaking an arm around his shoulders.

"And then we skated again, and before I really knew it, we were the only ones left on the rink and so we...made out." The word sounded foreign when Roxs said it, making Sora look puzzled, "Was it...any good?"

"Better than _your_ lessons, I can sure as hell tell you that."

Sora snorted, took his arm back and threw them both over the back of the park bench. "Geez, like I would use my best stuff on _you_."

Roxas smiled, "So, how was yours...?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Sora exploded, setting down enough to lay down on the bench with his head resting on the blond's right leg. He had MAGICALLY obtained a small yellow dandelion from the nearby grass and was slowly picking out it's leaves. "Well...first, we went to the movies, and made out there... Then, when we got back to his car, we spent the first seven, maybe ten minutes making out... Then, he drove us over to his place so I can see it... And then we-"

"LEMME GUESS!! I'm psychic that way, now let's see...you two...made out?"

"In more ways than one..."

"Okay, ya lost me."

Sora sat up, and dropped his flower, "Well...um...he-er-um..."

"What did you do, Sora."

"He um..." Sora blushed slightly, trying to keep his eyes averted from the blond's.

"You didn't _sleep_ with him, did you?"

"No, no! ...Almost, but then he said that he was really tired, and suggested that I um...slept...in his room...on the same bed, but that's not the point! The point is..."

Sora leaned in closer, all too aware of the hyper, rambunctious, innocent toddlers running around and wreaking havoc.

"He let me give him a hand-job..."

Roxas gasped, reeling back away from the blushing, slightly giggling boy in front of him with one eyebrow arched, "You...jerked him off...?"

Sora nodded. "Yup! Lotsa fun!"

"...Okay, I'm going to pretend I never heard that, so I wont either have nightmares and NEVER be able to get the image out of my head. Wanna head home?"

"Sure." Sora said, standing up and arcing his long, slender, famished body. His shirt inched up, catching Roxas' attention. Knowing the brunet would probably _enjoy_ it more than protest, Roxas lifted his shirt inches over his clearly visible ribs, and counted each one.

"Sora, you're getting skinny again." The blond said, dropping his shirt and looking up at the brunet again.

"I-I have to...I swear though, I ate breakfast, and lunch already, I'm just going to go home, grab an apple or something, and then sneak out..."

Roxas didn't look phased from his glare up at the older boy.

"And stop looking at me like that, you know I'll be okay..."

He slightly bent over to be eye lined with Roxas' big blue eyes, "Just for a little longer though, okay? We need the Munny..."

After a quick, loving kiss on the lips that lasted for less than a second, Sora turned on his way home, opposing the direction Roxas was headed after he cleared his head.

_**/L-C-C\**_

With a pop tart in hand, Sora was successful in getting out of the house without waking Mayuka, and was off down the street. It was a rather long walk; thirteen blocks, and the shortcut Sora discovered included jumping an eight-foot brick wall and going through someone's backyard with a rabid Chihuahua named Pepsi. Everyone called her Cha though because she'd bark at everyone who came within sidewalk distance of the house, and people got so used to it they would just say "Cha, cha." instead of "Yeah, yeah.". Sora didn't know why, though.

He decided to just take the long way. Avoiding Cha sounded like a good idea, because the last time he took the shortcut, Cha had friends. Two other male dogs by the names of Buster and Steve-o.

Sora slightly shivered at the thought, and continued along his way down the avenue toward his destination, _Felicity_, with the old sign from before Sora was born and some of the letters blinking in and out. First it was the first 'I' that started to go, then the top of the 'F', and then there was this really random line that appeared in between the F and E so it looked like it was reading 'Helcity' when they all blinked out on the same nights.

Sora didn't like the name of the shift Sora worked on, but it was best known as 'Gay Night'. He wasn't the only one working, but he was always the best. There was never a bigger crowd than around Sora's table with all the usually desperate, horny, and usually over thirty-year-old men swooning of how Sora could work his hips in the restraining thongs or g-strings (depending on what kind of crowd it was that night) he was wearing. He didn't mind the fact that it was bright pink, just that it accentuated every curve of the 16-year-old's body, causing an excessive motivation to stay skinnier than most of the girls he knew.

He sighed, rounding the alley around the building and using the back entrance of the old building and going into the dressing room wear his locker sat with his attire and make up kits. He sighed as he trudged in and sat on the bench in between the rows of lockers and dialed his combination he had memorized all too easily, 35-4-9. He sighed, eyeing the extremely small, black-leather thong, and reached out for it.

Now, Sora being Sora, he had no shame in changing in the extremely empty locker room and being stark naked for a good twenty seconds. He knew he looked good, it was just...a little cold. It wasn't like this place could afford heating in the locker rooms. So, after his twenty seconds of torture and nearly falling over the bench, he was able to squeeze into the damn thing, and walk around (relatively) comfortably. He reached into the locker again and grabbed the short, black-leather skirt and slipped it on next, and searched around for his spiked choker and fishnet shirt.

A stray spike pricked his finger, and drew blood, Sora noticed when he pulled it back and stuffed it lovingly into his mouth to remedy the brisk pain. He sighed deeply after taking the finger from his mouth, found his fishnet midriff shirt, and slipped it on, followed by his sharp choker. After more digging around, he was able to find his black fishnet gloves and slipped them on, realizing he needed a quick coat of black nail polish.

With his dreary mood slightly raised, he grabbed his makeup kit and headed for the vanity mirror at the edge of the locker room, and sat happily in the rickety, old, torn chair. Sora took the gloves off, and searched the small drawers until a black varnish vile was found. He delicately placed the polish on each fingernail with the utmost care, and turned to look up at himself. He looked normal. Just a normal, plain old 16-year-old, with a job as an ecdysiast, a _stripper_. He sighed as he blew gently on his nails to dry the cheap polish quickly, realizing that he had forgotten his small rimmed beanie in his locker. He got up to get it, and came back to his seat and began blending the dark purple and blue eye shadows together.

Upon looking back up at his reflection, four giant, dark purple blotches caught his eye and he gasped slightly. He glanced around the locker room, and then reached into his kit to find the concealer. He caked it on gently, trying to avoid his shirt and choker in the process. When the hideous blotches he didn't even remember getting seemed to have disappeared, he took a sign in relief, and began to apply his eye shadow, the eye liner, lipstick, lip liner, blush and the one thing Sora hated most, mascara.

He sighed when he looked at his creation in the mirror after he was done. This wasn't him at all...well, to a certain degree it was, but he wouldn't consider wearing this much make up; but he was _required _to. They said it made him look more appealing.

He didn't care anymore...

He glanced at the shoe racks, grabbed his 5-incher shiny black hooker-like boots and slipped them on.

He took one last look in one of the full length mirrors near the door to the stage.

"Am I pretty enough now...?"

He whispered, and after one last sigh, he stepped through the backstage door, and set up behind the blinding lights, bright pink gigantic curtains, and the concealed pole that was just begging for his undivided attention.

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+ _

**A/N: **Believe it or not...I turned Sora into a damn whore.

And the whole hand job this was the initial inspiration for the WHOLE fic. Started out as a oneshot, but then I decided that I needed a back story.

...So what if I'm a loser?


	6. Level 06

**Life's Cheat Code**

**-Level 06: Begin-**

"Not this _again_..."

"Watch out, here I cooooome!" Sora sang out excitedly and ignoring Roxas' groan of protest.

Another day began at the park, then moved to the mall, then the two boys were bored with looking at awesome things neither could buy, and decided to just head on to Sora's place for a snack or something. And maybe a movie, Sora's place was unpredictable. Maybe some Xbox, who knew?

Somewhere along the lines, and with Roxas not knowing it, Sora had pulled out his illustrious iPod and was soon dancing around as the boys walked the twenty blocks from the mall to the street Sora's house sat on. Luckily for Roxas, the streets were quiet and clear.

"I get to know your name, well if I could trace your private number, baby. All I know is that to me, you look like you're lots of fun, open up your lovin' arms I want some, want some!" Sora sang, prancing around the sidewalk happily and grabbing onto signs and swinging off of them.

"I set my sights on you, and no one else will do and I, I've got to have my way now, baby. All I know is that to me, you look like you're having fun, open up your lovin' arms, watch out here I come."

Grabbing the unsuspecting Roxas by the hands, the two began to spin in a circle. The blond boy laughed, and had heard Sora sing the song enough times to know the next line.

"You spin me right round, baby, right round like a record, baby, right round, round, round! You spin me right round, baby, right round like a record, baby, right round, round, round!" Both boys sang in unison before Sora released Roxas' arms and continued his happy dance.

Roxas laughed at the older boy, singing the fading last lines of the song and spinning around in dizzying circles until he collapsed on a neighbor's lawn and sighed.

"That song rocks."

"Kinda old, doncha think?" Roxas asked, sitting next to the brunet on the lawn.

"The 80's shall never die, dearest Roxas." Sora sat up and sighed again, looking up at the younger boy. "I missed the update on your date yesterday..."

Roxas smiled, bringing his knees up to his chest. "It's alright. I knew you needed the day to rest after 'washing cars' until three AM..."

"..._Well_...?"

"Oh, um...it was a lot of fun. Axel is spoiling me to no end."

"Ohh, Roxas, you're bestest student I have ever had! I turned you from Alice In Wonderland to Dirty Dancing in, what now...five weeks?"

Roxas smiled sheepishly, a blush beaming on his cheeks.

The older boy exhaled deeply again, "I miss Riku."

"It's only been a couple days, Sora."

"I know...it just feels like it's been longer..." Sora had his eyes downcast, arms behind him for support and legs crossed.

Roxas chuckled slightly, playing with the laces delicately on his shoes. "Yanno...Axel's nineteen."

"Ya think I didn't?"

"I wasn't sure."

Sora laughed, "You're point?"

Roxas' smile faded, "Well, it's just that...oh, never mind. Nothing important I guess. Can we go now? It's getting late..."

"OH MY GOD, I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!"

Sora sprang up suddenly, jumping around joyously on the lawn until Roxas stood. "What?"

"Roxy...We should ALL...like, you, me, Axel and Riku and stuff...should all, like...go to the beach!"

Roxas raised an eyebrow.

Sora laughed, and grabbed Roxas' arm, "It'll be fun!"

"Oh yeah, no doubt..."

Sora's smile faltered, "Whasamatter?"

"I've never had a real _thing_ for the beach, Sora."

Sora tsked, "City boy. What exactly is that bothers ya?"

Roxas sighed, "Cold water, frigg'n sand crabs, REGULAR crabs, sunburns, nearly-naked fat people, annoying little kids, annoying old people, no OPEN bathrooms, no electricity, people's annoying small, battery operated stereos...and worst of all, _sand_."

Sora blinked at the boy, "And I didn't think you could get anymore Emo, Roxas Otua." He then smiled at the younger boy, "So...does that mean that my idea wasn't so great?"

"Nah. Sounds like fun. We should go. I'll just deal." Roxas smiled brightly.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Sora giggled gently into the phone, "No, you hang up first..."

"Sora?"

He giggled again, "Okay, on three, Roxy still needs to call Axel...one, two, three... I couldn't do it either."

"So_ra_."

"Okay, okay, seriously, he's getting pissy. I love you...I'll see you tomorrow...bye." Sora took the phone away from his ear and clicked the talk button, and handed it to the blond boy. Both boys occupied Sora's neat, tidy bed with the blue-checkered comforter and Pirates of the Caribbean pillowcases. Roxas dialed the number, and placed it to his ear.

"Oh, already have his number memorized?"

"I text him a lot. Hi, Axel? It's Roxas..."

The conversation eventually lead to Roxas walking out of Sora's room so he could sit in the hallway against one of the white walls, "...What happened this time?"

"I-I don't really want to talk about it. I just need to get out of here, that's all. Reno's offered a space in his apartment for me, but I don't think I can stand that alcoholic of a brother."

Roxas bit his thumbnail for a moment, "So...he just said all those things because he was drunk though, right?"

"...I'd like to think so...I never know what my dad's talking about most of the time..." Axel's voice grew quieter.

"But...you're free tomorrow, right?"

"Oh yeah, I'll give Riku a ride too. Sora's place?"

Roxas smiled, "Uh-huh."

"So, how about you? You doing okay?" Axel's voice perked slightly.

"I-I'm okay, just..."

"Tired all the time."

"Pretty much."

Axel laughed gently, "Beach...right...I gotta go dig out my swim trunks. Can I talk to you tomorrow? I'll call when I'm on my way."

"Okay, I have my phone with me."

"Bye."

"Bye."

A smile tugged at the corners of Roxas' mouth as he hung up the house phone Sora leant him and reentered the brunet's room, only to be met with the other boy half naked. He kept his eyes downcast and plopped down on his bed.

Sora looked at the younger boy after a moment, "He okay?"

Roxas looked up, "Huh? Oh...yeah, I think so...Akino is just going on his tirades again."

"Is he gonna move in with Reno?"

"I hope not...He lives all the way in Midgar, I'd never get to see him..."

Sora sighed, and sat next to the blond boy, "Well...if he does, we'll figure something out, okay? He has a _car_, remember?"

Another smile crossed Roxas' lips, "How can I forget after you shouted it across the arcade?"

Sora giggled, and kissed the younger boy's cheek. "Axel's lucky to have one like you, Roxy. One in a million, yanno that?"

Roxas blushed, and blinked at the older boy, "Ya really think so?"

"Have since seventh grade."

Roxas smiled to himself, and hummed, "Riku's not exactly lucked out either..."

Sora smiled and looked down at his lap. After a silent moment, the boy sprung back to life again, "SO!"

Roxas jumped slightly.

"Wanna watch a movie or somethin' downstairs?"

"Oh yeah, surround sound... Um..."

"Comedy? Horror? Drama? Action? C'mon kid, don't got all day!" Sora said, tromping up to the section of his room completely devoted to DVD's of all kinds.

Roxas kept his gaze downcast, his knees gently poking his chin, "Um... Tim Burton sounds really good right now..."

"The Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Planet of the Apes, Sleepy Hollow, Mars Attacks, Ed Wood, Batman, Batman _Returns_, or Beetlejuice. Take Your Pick."

"Nightmare."

"Then you can't get mad at me when I sing along."

Roxas groaned. "_Fine_..."

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_


	7. Level 07

**A/N**: If you've already read this chapter, just scroll down to the last **_/L-C-C\ _**to see what else is added. Sorry for the uh...retardedness.

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 07 Begin-

Sora had always loved the beach. The sound of the waves, the gentle breeze, the shining sun; it always made him feel at home.

He stood watching the waves crashing on the shore and sighed. The beach was not deserted today, which was somewhat of a drag, but he would deal. Being the only ones on a beach sounded a little weird anyhow.

"What are you standing over here all by yourself for?" Riku asked, walking up toward the younger boy and stretching an arm over his shoulders.

Sora smiled, "Nothing..." Another short sigh escaped him.

"Well c'mon then. Axel's gonna make Roxas help us make a sand castle, okay?"

"OH, OH!! I'm a pro at that!" Sora suddenly burst into life, grabbing the older boy by the hand and dragged him back toward the site.

Roxas was in charge of using the buckets Axel had managed to swipe from the gift shop back up the road to get the group water. It was going to turn out as more of a triangular-castle, they decided as they each sat in the said shape and began building.

Hours into the project, Riku's tower turned out to be slanted slightly to the right, Axel's was too pointed, and Sora was beginning the ridges around the top of his nearly perfect tower. Riku and Axel just began to work on the outer walls.

After completing the ridges along the rim of his tower, Sora stared out over the ocean again from where he was sitting. He sighed deeply until he was gently nudged by Roxas, "Quit spacin' out, we'll hit the water in a bit."

Sora glanced up at him, and smiled brightly. "I thought you didn't like cold water?"

"I gotta get over it sometime, right?"

Sora laughed, and continued the work on making small details that indicated the sign of bricks on his sand tower.

After a few moments, he was nudged again from the opposite ends, looking up to meet Riku's gaze. The older smiled, glancing out over the water, then back toward the confused brunet boy. Riku stood up, and offered the younger a hand, "C'mon. We'll go together."

Sora perked up slightly, grabbed the elder's hand and was brought to his feet. He gave Riku a smile, and the other returned it, both suddenly taking off their shirts and darting for the water in their swim trunks. Roxas and Axel stared at their trail, looked at each other, and shrugged.

Sora laughed, his feet touching the rising water before Riku's and sighed. Another wave was coming, and small kids were running away from the water as it came up toward them, and chasing it back out toward the tide. The wave crashed and Sora took a step forward to meet the water, and glanced back at Riku, "Ever been neck deep in the ocean before?"

Riku arced an eyebrow, "I stay indoors most of my life, Sora; no, I have never been neck deep before." He shook his head ad crossed his arms, still trying to adjust to the cold water.

Sora scoffed and smiled playfully, "Well, come on then."

Riku took a step back, "What?"

"You've never ever been out passed this in the water before?"

"No."

"Well, we can't have that, Riku."

"But-"

Sora raised his hand toward the older boy, "For me?"

Riku stood for a moment, glancing from the hand back up to the other boy's eyes, sighing after a moment and grabbing it. Sora's smile grew and he looked back at the water. After another wave had crashed, the two slowly made their way further out. Riku stopped at waist deep to shiver.

"It's fucking freezing!"

"You'll get used to it, I promise." Sora recaptured the older's hand and continued to lead him out further.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"So...whataya think they're doin' out there?" Axel asked, looking at the younger couple in the water around the other people.

"I dunno, Axel...swimming?" Roxas replied after sitting down next to him in the sand. He sighed, and leaned back while using his elbows for balance.

Axel smiled at the sarcastic remark, and ruffled the younger's hair, "Durr swimming, I mean, how did Sora get Riku to touch the water when I couldn't?"

Roxas perked up and moved closer to the redhead.

"He's been so much happier since Sora beat him in that DDR match. He's been laughing at Demyx more and insulting Larxene with me more often and he isn't so distant anymore. Sora's a wonder, yanno?"

Roxas smiled and nodded, "Have since seventh grade." The blond looked out over the water at the two, noticing they were nearly chest deep in the water. "He's always been someone you could talk to. He just..._gets_ it, yanno?"

Axel smiled, "Uh-huh."

"I remember how we met..." Roxas laughed, "He, um...was getting picked on by these eighth graders back in middle school. It was something about how girly he was, or something...I guess they assumed he was gay, but you don't know those kinds of things in middle school, so, even Sora wasn't even sure...Anyway..."

"Yeah, went a little off track there."

Both teens laughed as Roxas continued, "So, he was getting picked on, and I was standing a couple feet away, just watching the whole thing. I passed by Sora before fourth period every day, and before that day we had never said a word to each other. He was pushed onto the ground and he dropped his book, and I _snapped_-"

"You? Snap? No way." Axel interrupted, ruffling the younger's hair while earning a Shut Up.

"So I went up to the dude who pushed him, and when he turned around, I decked him right in the face. Of course, he wasn't alone, and Sora and I were sent to the Principal's office. He was a nice guy though, and he knew the douche-bag that was picking on Sora, and totally beat the shit out of both of us, so we were left off easy. I remember...both of us sitting on the bench in the office, looking at each other, and bustin' up. We were best friends ever since."

"Aww, Roxy, how cute are you?" Axel said, pulling the younger closer for a small, chaste kiss. Roxas sighed, leaning down on the older's shoulder.

"How did you meet Riku?"

Axle turned to the younger boy with a grin on his face and a short laugh escaping him, "Would you believe I used to hate the kid?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Axel laughed, turning back to look at the ocean, "Yup. Used to fight all the time too, on school grounds. Sometimes he'd win, most of the time I did...He was a punk sophomore when I was a senior and he just started a bunch of shit, I started a bunch of shit...it used to be hell. But I guess we both just got over it because we were both friends with Demyx, and he was the one who settled everything. Been best buds ever since."

Roxas still had an eyebrow raised. Axel chuckled and kissed the younger boy's cheek.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"No, no, no! It'll be okay, I promise!"

"IT'S FUCKING FREEZING!"

"You'll get used to it, Riku, just stay still!"

Sora shouted to the older boy, both standing neck deep in water. Riku turned to look over the water and noticed a small arc in the water approaching them. He looked back to the grinning Sora, "Just jump with it Riku, it wont kill you."

The accumulating wave approached the two and easily passed without taking either of them under.

"See? Easy."

Riku resisted the urge to glare at the younger boy and sighed.

"Still fricken cold."

Sora scoffed, swimming closer to the silver haired boy and chastely kissing his lips, "Give it a minute, okay?"

Another wave approached, and was easily avoided before it crashed on the shore and the kids ran away and then chased after it. Sora giggled, "So, how has your week been?"

"Alright, I guess...Haven't really been leaving the house much..." Riku paused to jump up with the wave, "I've been trying to get my ass up out of the house and look for a job. What about you, Sora? You got a job?"

Sora's smile only faltered for a moment, and came back full force, "Yeah. Community service most of the time, but I get a lot of, uh...tips."

"What kind of community service?"

"Entertainment, most of the time..."

Riku shook his head jokingly, looking back ahead of the two to be met with a swelling wave, towering over both of them. The older boy reached out for the brunet, grabbing a hold of him just before it crashed on the two. The water revealed both boys, Sora in Riku's arms bridal style.

Riku opened his eyes behind his long, sandy, soaked hair, and coughed slightly.

Sora smiled, "You can't breathe under water, silly."

Riku growled gently, releasing the younger boy and flipping his hair back, plugging his nose, and dunking backwards into the water. He immerged, and looked at the younger, "I know that."

Sora laughed at the silver haired boy, and gently jumped along with the wave as it passed. "Are you still cold?"

Riku sighed, "I guess not."

Sora smirked triumphantly, and sighed. "I'm losing the feeling in my toes."

"Wanna go see what Axel and Roxas are up to?"

"Uh-huh. I've had enough swimming for one day. Thank you, Riku."

Riku gave a light smile before turning back toward shore and wading toward it with Sora by his sides. Both boys emerged from the water, and walked toward where the other two had been building the retarded sand castle and looked at each other.

"Well, I don't think it could look any worse." Riku said, crossing his arms and looking at the two. Sora laughed at the joke.

Both Axel and Roxas got up, "HEY!"

"We worked hard on that!" Roxas said.

Axel gently pushed the blond out of the way to get a better view of Riku, "Yeah, hotshot, you try makin' a fuckin' guard wall, ridges and all!"

Riku laughed and was soon tackled to the ground by the older boy sending both to the ground in a playful fight.

Sora giggled again, walking up next to Roxas, "I don't think it looks bad at all."

"Thank you, Sora." Roxas smiled at the older boy. He grabbed a beach towel and gave it Sora, who draped it over his shoulders and sighed, watching the other two rolling around in the sand and laughing.

_**/L-C-C\**_

The crowds had gone and the overcast had come, despite the warm weather. It grew colder and soon the four were in sweatshirts and pants, still trying to make their killer sand castle. Sora sat away from the group again, down at the water's edge, sitting in the sand and staring out over the water. The deserted beach was much more pleasant without the annoying little kids running around and reeking havoc. Sora erupted a heavy sigh, noticing Riku sit next to him with a sigh of his own, "You were being Emo again. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Sora replied quietly, moving closer toward the older boy and resting his head on his shoulder. He felt Riku's supple lips touch gently against his forehead and drape a hand across his shoulders to bring him closer.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

At first, Sora didn't reply. After a moment he blinked, and turned to look up at Riku, escaping the arm draped over his shoulders completely. Sora just stared for the longest time and before Riku could say a word of worry, Sora reached forward, connecting their lips and holding the other boy in place with his hand on his cheek. Riku closed his eyes after a moment, and let Sora get completely on top of him, trailing from his lips to the nape of his neck.

Axel scoffed, "Yanno, they wouldn't do that if there were people around."

"I think it's adorable." Roxas said, standing next to Axel as both boys stood to watch. The two could hear Riku moaning from where they stood.

"Sora always been like that?"

"Ever since eighth grade, actually." Roxas cut off his own sentence there. Eighth grade was the same year Sora got the job down at Felicity. Roxas sighed deeply, and grabbed onto Axel's waist for comfort. Taken slightly aback by the sudden gesture, Axel at first stood and stared down at the blond boy, but soon wrapped a hand over his shoulders and the two sat down next to the sand castle.

Purple blotches formed all over the silver haired boy's neck by the time Sora had taken an unnecessary break and rested against the older's chest. Riku was able to catch his breath, and run a hand lovingly through his hair, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Can I stay at your place tonight?"

"Huh?"

"Please...?"

"Uh...yeah, it's fine with me, but...why?"

Sora only smiled weakly, and rested his head onto the older boy's shoulder, leaving him puzzled. Riku dismissed it with a sigh, and gently stroked the younger boy's cheek with his thumb.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Axel drove, Roxas was in the passenger seat, and Riku and Sora were in the backseat...making loud, odd, noises and ramming one another into the side doors and gaining dominance over one another. One last _bang_ and the two were again the door directly behind Axel; Roxas glanced at the older male, and could already see the veins popping out of his head.

One moan from Sora finally set him off, "KNOCK IT OFF!"

Roxas was silent. Riku moved back to his seat. Sora straightened his clothes.

The ride was quiet from then on.

Upon arriving to Riku house first, both boys got out of the back seat.

"Oh, Sora's stayin' with me tonight. Saves ya gas, right Axel?"

Axel, who was currently looking back at the two popping the trunk of the car to gather their things, turned to look at the equally horrified Roxas.

About to protest, the blond and redhead looked out the passenger window, watching Riku and Sora enter the house.

Roxas looked back at Axel both with wide eyes.

Both blinked.

The blond sat back in his seat, looking ahead of the car. Axel did the same. They drove off without a word.

_**/L-C-C\**_

After Riku had asked for his parents consent of company for the night and Sora called home for his own consent, the brunet boy placed his things in Riku's room and stripped off his uncomfortable sweat pants, and sat down on the bed next to the older boy.

Riku looked at him with a grin, "My parents are going to sleep soon."

Before the younger boy could even meet Riku's eyes, he was captured underneath him on the bed, and was being robbed of his sweatshirt.

Riku leaned in closer, chuckling slightly, "And we have a hot tub."

Sora giggled gently, wrapping his legs around the older boy's middle, feeling his fingers lace between his own. Sweet, supple kisses turned hungry and desperate, hands roamed, and Sora's quiet, conspicuous moans of joy echoed dully in the older boy's room.

A knock came to his door, and both boys jumped up into casual places on the bed as Rei walked in. Riku looked up at her from the book he had magically found, "Hi, mom." Mrs. Murakami yawned tiredly, leaning against the doorframe, "We're going to sleep now, okay? Stay out of the alcohol, Riku."

"It's locked, I've tried."

Rei laughed, walking into the room and ran a hand through the seventeen-year-old's hair and kissed his forehead. Sora jumped up, and wrapped his arms around the older woman's waist, "Nighty-night, mommy."

Rei laughed, "Good night, Sora." And hugged the brunet boy back. Sora still stood as Rei left the room, and looked at Riku as soon as the door closed, and pounced on him, but was apprehended and back on bottom after a short struggle. Riku suggested that they waited a half hour before they went downstairs and into the hot tub.

After Riku had given the smaller boy and himself a small break, Sora regained his breath, and laughed, "Yanno, it's a wonder why your mom didn't see the hickeys all over you."

Riku laughed as well, propping himself off the younger boy with his elbow. "Yeah, I know. Mom's going blind, Dad's going deaf...it's crazy."

"Just wait until you get older. You'll probably have both traits and more."

Riku momentarily glared before sighing one last time, glancing at the clock.

"Ya still wanna get in the hot tub?"

"What have we been waiting for all this time?"

The two jumped up, and opened the older boy's door quietly, crept down the stairs, grabbed a couple towels, and slipped out the sliding glass door into the backyard. Riku uncovered the built in hot tub, turned on the jets and the two hopped in.

Sora dunked his head under the water, reemerging with all of his hair soaked and spiny as ever. Riku laughed before being silenced with the younger boy climbing completely on top of him.

"What did the beach _do_ to you, Sora?" Riku growled, wrapping his arms around the brunet's waist.

"It does a lot of things to me, Riku. Sometimes, I get sad. Sometimes I'm happy. But most of the time..." Sora cut his sentence short with a giggle before capturing Riku;s lips in his own.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Not even bothering to dry off, close the sliding glass door, or turn the jets in the hot tub off, both boys laughed as they raced up the stairs as quietly as possible, and closed and locked Riku's door upon they're entry. Sora was about to leap onto Riku's bed, but was stopped by the old boy holding the waist of his board shorts, "You're wet, not on the bed."

Sora rolled his eyes at the older boy, joining him in untying the draw strings of his shorts and sliding them off completely. Once Riku kicked off his own shorts, he tackled the younger to the bed, and was even able to locate the lotion bottle at the right timing.

_**/L-C-C\**_

After a gentle kiss after dropping Roxas off back at his home, Axel was again on the road toward his own home. He yawned into his hand after a moment, feeling the cellphone in his pocket begin to vibrate gently. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the jiggling device, notcing the caller ID:

Demyx.

He sighed, and flipped it open, hearing some minor feedback in the backround where EVER that guy was standing.

"Yo." Axel said simply, wishing honestly NOT to talk to the blond man. Demyx was able to keep a phone conversation going for hours about the most randomest of things.

"Hey! Axel! You'll NEVER guess what I did Friday night!"

Axel rolled his eyes, "Oh, I dunno, jack-off to something that no one else finds interest in like _last _Friday?"

He heard the blond scoff, "No dumbshit...besides, you know watching babes on cars is hot..."

"...Get to the point, Dem."

"Oh, okay...well, me and Larxene go sooooo bored, and I let her talk me into taking her to a strip club, because her car's still at the impound-"

"OKAY, GREAT. Now how will this ever help me in later life?" Axel sighed, taking a sharp right on a corner.

"B-but, Axel, guess who was there!"

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+ _

**A/N: **TOTALLY screwed up this chapter the first time. So...here's the edited version.


	8. Level 08

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 08 Begin-

Riku was first to awaken, at first realizing the blankets covering his naked form were clumped up tightly next to him. He had only turned over and gently searched the blankets until an angelic face came into view, making the older boy smile. He had laid in bed for some time before the other body next to him stirred, and a slender warm hand popped out from underneath the blankets, obviously in search of him. Small, delicate fingers gently grasped the older's hand before Sora completely immerged from the blankets with a yawn so adorable it took all of Riku's will power to restrain a pounce.

Sora finally eyed the older boy and smiled himself, laying back down closer to the silver-haired boy, lightly kissing his lips and resting against him, the blankets following his every move.

"Morning." Riku whispered, kissing his forehead as he did so.

Sora smiled, and propped himself on one elbow and looked at the older boy, "Morning..."

The younger boy yawned again gently, feeling hands crawl underneath the blanket, gently grabbing his form and bringing it closer to the elder's body. A giggle escaped Sora as their lips met again, said boy being undertaken by the older boy in an instant. Ignoring the bearable tastes of bed mouth and semen potent within both boys, Sora willingly let Riku's teasing tongue enter his mouth. Sora in turn began to knead the older boy's hips, feeling some sort of pressure press against him. They moaned in the other's mouth, feeling the familiar tendrils of heat course through their bodies.

After a few hours of repeating the same gestures, sex all over the house and walking around stark naked, and a single shower between them, both boys got dressed and were now sitting on the living room couch...making out. Sora moaned as his hands were pinned above his head with one of the older boy's hands, the other one gently undoing his pants. Being once again silenced with Riku's own lips, he became dough in Riku's arms..._again_. His delicate fingers danced around a part of the younger boy's anatomy that usually made him jump when contacted with...such things.

So, he did. Sora bucked his hips up, but Riku did not stop his ministrations until the younger boy screamed his name in orgasm..._again_.

Exhausted, Sora sighed deeply, reeling back his arms and attempting to sit up and look at the older boy...proving to be difficult. After he had sat up, he cupped Riku's face in his hands, glistening in a layer of sweat and out of breath, he spoke.

"R-Riku?"

A peck. "Uh-huh?"

"Don't...don't ever get jealous of Roxas...okay?"

Riku propped himself up with his elbows, giving the other boy an uncertain look.

"Why would I be?"

"Because...My best friend is the most important thing to me, boyfriend or not...And I'm extremely affectionate toward him, you've seen me, right?"

"Oh...that."

Sora's face faltered before he came back with a tender loving kiss, lasting only for a minute.

"I can't be with someone who is jealous of someone I care so much about, okay...?"

After a moment, Riku looked back up at the younger boy with a smile, "I wont be...just not in front of me or at least at a minimum, alright?"

Sora giggled, smiling up at the older boy with a gentle kiss, "I'll try..."

_**/L-C-C\**_

The day was nearly done, and Sora had to return home for...work later on that night. He stood in the living room, waiting for the older boy to re-re-re-refreshen up so that they could leave.

Sora sighed, standing against the wall near the door, fidgeting with the black chipping nail polish dotted on his fingers. It was Friday.

Hearing the older boy coming down the stairs, he perked up, being met with a the older boy's smile and a chaste kiss on his tender lips. They left the house, locking the door behind them on the account of how both parents were gone out to work, and were on their way to Sora's.

Said boy was unusually quiet, and staring blankly out the window. Stopped at a red light, the older boy leaned over and gently kissed his cheek, making Sora giggle and reward him with a kiss on the lips. Riku smirked and returned to his own seat, "What's the matter?"

Sora's smile faltered, and he again looked out the window, answering with a heavy sigh.

"I'll be okay...I just want today to be over with already..."

"Work stressin' ya out?"

Sora tensed slightly, but it went unnoticeable. Riku was already looking ahead when the car began to roll again.

Sora took a long pause before answering, "...Uh, y-yeah..."

"It's just community service though, right? And you're a brilliant entertainer, why in the world would that stress you out?"

"I need to come up with a new _act_."

Sora stifled a forced laugh to magnify the intense IRONY that had made the car fall into a deep, semi-comfortable silence until Sora's house came into view.

"Thanks a lot, Riku...For everything."

Riku parked in a temporary space before looking down at the brunet. His foolish attempt at keeping a straight face was futile under the cheesy grin and big blue eyes staring back at him.

...Then they started making out again.

Some odd minutes later, Sora reeled back gently, "Pop the trunk?"

Riku silently complied, gently pressing the button on the left of the steering wheel, watching the younger boy open the door and gently slam it shut and retreated to the bag of the car to get his stuff.

Riku unlocked his door and followed him, meeting Sora as he shut the trunk door and looked up at him, gym bag in hand. The older boy held out a hand to carry the bag and Sora happily complied, adding "Think you can carry me too?"

So, they tried.

With Sora on his back and the bag hooked around his neck and dangling in front of him, Riku walked from the car up the driveway and up to the front door, softly dropping Sora and the bag from his neck on to the floor.

And with one last kiss, Sora disappeared in the house, and Riku retreated back to his car.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Roxas slightly jumped, having been caught in an intense battle on his playstation fighting against that goddamned-vampire-whore-bitch in _Devil May Cry 3_, feeling a slight jingle and hearing the distinct, annoying, and needed-to-be-changed ring tone of something he didn't remember the name of when he downloaded it that sounded cool at first but now if you listen really closely sounds more like polka music. Anyway... He pressed pause and reached into his pocket, looking at the caller ID, and a smile instantly plastered his face. 

"Axel?"

"Hey Roxie, how ya doin'?"

"I'm okay, how are you?"

There was a pause, "I-I'm alright. Hey can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, shoot." Roxas picked up the controller, and unpaused the game, hinting his incredible ability to multitask and beat a Vampire-Bitch with one hand.

"Yeah, uh...What kinda line of work is Sora into right now, do you know?"

Roxas' heart stopped.

He dropped the controller, watching as Dante was murdered beyond his control, and watching the game over sign take over the screen.

"W-why do you a-ask...?"

_**/L-C-C\**_

Another night, another poptart, and again, Sora sneaking out of the house and traveling down the avenue with a rather morbid expression on his face. He munched the poptart about halfway before throwing the rather _disgusting _thing at the nearest trash can and missing.

He really needed a new job...

Into the backdoor to Felicity's, Sora noticed a figure sitting at the vanity mirror at the end of the lockers. He instantly recognized who it was.

"Ziddy!"

His blond pigtails bounced with him as he stopped himself from powdering his cheeks to look up at the boy as he walked closer. Zidane was dressed in similar skimpy-clothes like Sora, but his attire resembled more of a cat, including the tail and black ears. The boy jumped up to meet Sora in a friendly hug in the middle of the room.

"Hi, Sora!"

"Ziddy, where have you been?" Sora said, releasing the shorter boy and playing his his fake black ear.

"I've been sick with the flu, I didn't mean to miss so much work." He laughed, batting Sora's hand from his costume.

Sora smiled, and gently patted him on the cheek, walking toward his locker with the younger boy following. Sora set up in front of his locker as Zidane sat down on the bench, and sighed.

Sora began to change, already in the middle of taking off his shirt when he noticed the younger boy's silence. "Something wrong?"

Zidane looked up at Sora for a moment, and then sighed again, "Garnet left me."

Sora stopped amidst putting his fishnet shirt on, and looked down at the younger boy in amazement. He tugged the last bit on and cradled the boy in his arms in sympathy, "I'm sorry, Ziddy...Are you alright?"

He nodded sadly, keeping his eyes on the floor and one hand holding the elder boy against him. "Y-yeah...I'll be alright. She just needed time to adjust; I-it was supposed to be a little break, that's all..."

Sora released the smaller boy, and smiled at him, returning to his locker to find his damned choker.

"She'll get over it. Garnet's a keeper, though...If I was straight, you'd be in trouble."

Ziddy laughed, keeping his seat on the bench as Sora changed into his leather skirt. He looked down at the younger boy and their eyes met. First Sora smiled, making Zidane smile as well.

"Wanna do my mascara so I don't stab myself in the eye?"

"Sure."

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+ _

**A/N:** The "goddamned vampire whore bitch" was a quote from armenian-keyblade.

The ring tone sounding like polka music is actually my ring tone. it was SUPPOSED to be "You Spin Me Right Round" buuuut...its just didn't turn out that way. Which was a little sad to me, but...yeah.

And this chapter took a looooooooong loooooooooooooooooooong loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time to write...cuuuuuz I kept getting writer's block in the middle of it. and I've been sick. Now, okay, take this situation. Say you have an incredible immune system and suddenly you get sick, stuffy nose, a few sneezes here and there, and the BEST DAY EVER, or Halloween, when you think you have the bestest costume out of all the ones you have had before and JUST when you get your braces off you can wear VAMPIRE TEETH...

You throw up that morning.

I had a good two-year record of not-throwing up, and it was a good run, but ever since Tuesday it's been stomach aches, nausea and dizziness...ON HALLOWEEN.

Now, I don't know about anyone else, but that would really piss me off. Oh, and traumatize me, too. Throwing up is the WOOOOOOORST feeling I have ever had in my entire life and just...I don't want to talk about it anymore.

If you read all that, I love you and you honestly care. or are just THAT bored.

Why doncha tell me and R+R?

_**"Being a Gangster is HELLA tight."**_


	9. Level 09

**A/N:** WHOLY FUCK!!! IT LIVES!!!

LCC HATH RETURNETH!!

Praise me, for I am now God, bitches.

…No, I'm kidding. Well not really…

Apologies for the long-ass wait… Laptop was offline, and so…I had to copy all 3,200 words from my laptop BY HAND onto this one…that's two hours I'm NEVER getting back.

Feh.

**Life's Cheat Code**

**-Level 09: Begin-**

Continuing his game of Devil May Cry 3 after his phone conversation proved to be difficult for young Roxas; word was getting out.

He couldn't _lie_ to Axel. Roxas was so readable to the redhead that even over the phone miles away, he could tell Roxas' face grew hot. Plus, it was a total give-away because when Roxas lied, he stuttered like crazy. Roxas had cleared his throat and tried to start again, but as soon as he denied Axel's claim to Demyx actually SEEING him there, on the pole, dancing his little heart out, Axel knew it was a lie.

So, the word was getting out.

But Roxas knew Axel could keep secrets. To completely honest, Axel didn't even really care; he just wanted to know. Axel and Sora were buddies, and Axel was not one to go back on his word…

So, here the blond sat, on his bed, staring at the wall across from him. Now, HOW will Sora take this once he tells him that Axel knew…?

Maybe, Sora didn't have to know.

Sora didn't have to know that Axel knew he was a stripper…It wasn't really a big deal, Axel didn't even care…

And is Sora did know, he may try to pin it on him, like HE had spilled it.

But he didn't…

But Sora wouldn't know that for sure…

Oh, what a _pickle_ this is…

_"Do ya think that I can get some, chickie, chickie? Maybe gets a little finga, sticky, sticky?"_

After quite a few headaches and a trip to the store for some aspirin, and a good night's sleep, Roxas was up the next day, trying to defeat that goddamned vampire-whore bitch of a boss…and losing. Again.

Dammit. Foiled, again.

All thoughts of how to deal with the bumbling weight of Sora's secret getting out was on its way of leaving.

And he had a date tonight. Nothing could go wrong.

_"Ya wanna suck it like a bong hit, wacky? Ya gotta be my First Lady, Jackie."_

…But all this was quite a few hours ago.

His cell phone rang, and Sora had requested that they spent the day together. It was hard to say no with the unbearable weight on his shoulder, so he reluctantly agreed. He had quit the game with no luck with Nevan (stupid vampire-whore.), took a shower and was now standing against the wall, trying to remember what he was thinking about, because the EXTREMELY obscene lyrics of the song Sora was singing, and their location being at a little kids' _park_, was throwing him off track.

"She got the power, of the hootchie, I got the fever for the flava of the cootchie! Let's party hardy, and rock and roll! We drink Bacardi, and smoke a bowl!"

Roxas sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose, and looking around at the kids as they looked up at him and laughed, and were carried off by their mothers.

Oh, how _embarrassing…_

Good song, though.

"I got the green-glow under my car, I got the _boom-boom_ system you can hear real far!"

Roxas watched…watched as his best friend completely made a fool of himself and didn't even care what anyone else thought of it. That was why everything just plain out, _loved_ Sora. That was how everyone knew his name.

And that was why, during the passing periods before class, he could shout, "Whoooooo lives in a pineapple under the sea?" And he would have _everyone_ answering with "Spongebob Squarepants!" instead of "STFU, MAN!!" down the hall. That was respect.

If anyone else but Sora did that, no one would play along. Sora was everyone's friend. Bu, out of the other millions of people who knew his name and sat in almost all of his classes with him and let him copy math homework from the night before, he chose Roxas as his best friend.

Wow.

That was some pretty deep shit he was thinking about, watching as Sora climbed up the slide and shouted "I got the fever for the flavor of the cootchie, yo hey ma, yo hey ma, yo hey mamama hootchie!"

…Silly, spontaneous, dorky, sexy little Sora; he was somethin' else…

"Roooooooooooxas!"

The blond looked up, and laughed, watching as Sora balanced himself on the slide, jumping off and onto the tanbark safely on his feet. He then sprung up, wrapping his arms around the younger boy and laughed as he almost fell over from the older boy's greater weight.

After the brunet had let Roxas go, he left an arm draped over his shoulder and sighed, turning to look down at him, "Bug date tonight, eh?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Axel told Riku last night who I talked to this morning…I'm going over there later on."

Roxas grinned devilishly, crossing his arms and staring up at the older boy, "So, tell me Sora, how exactly is Riku in bed?"

"Fucking. Amazing."

"I knew it!"

"…Could we have made it any more obvious, Roxas, so you young mind could process such a thing? Gods…"

Roxas then pouted, escaping the other boy's arm and stepping away from him. Sora stuck out his tongue playfully and darted toward the swings behind them. Roxas followed annoyedly, sitting on one next to Sora, ignoring him as he put his iPod away and sat on the swing and swayed back and forth gently.

"Yanno, Roxie…"

"What."

"I don't know where I'd be without you."

Roxas' glare in the tanbark lightened, and he looked up at the older boy, meeting his blue eyes gazing back at him from the other swing. Sora laughed gently, looking back down at the ground, keeping a smile as he continued. "You…put up with a lot of the things I do, Roxas…I just wanted you to know that…means a lot, okay? I was even telling Riku to never be jealous of you, because…I'm always going to love my best friend."

"Sora?"

"Hmm?"

"That has gotta be the gayest thing I think you have ever said… But, I love you too."

_**/L-C-C\**_

One thing had lead to another during the date. First, it was Axel's wandering hand that always found his waist, then it was the fact he couldn't go a couple minutes without a kiss. Roxas thought it was adorable, and was happy to oblige. Roxas offered for Axel to spend the night to get away from Akino for a night so they could instead spend it together.

"Yeah, okay pop. I'll talk to you later, thanks. Bye." Axel said, hanging up his cell phone and sighing as he put it away, "You really think this is a good idea?"

"Positive, why?"

"Will your mom be home?"

"She'll be home by the time we're asleep. She knows you're going to spend the night, she doesn't mind."

Axel kept giving him an unsure look at the red light they were stopped at.

"Don't worry, Axel, she likes you. It's just the age difference that scares her a little…"

"I don't blame her."

Roxas sat deeper into the seat with his arms crossed and a tired look in his eyes. He yawned gently, resting an elbow against the car door and propped his head, closing his eyes and sighing.

"So…Sora's a stripper, huh?"

Roxas tensed, opening his eyes and stuttering as he tried to speak.

"C-can we not talk about that?"

"Sure…sorry."

Roxas relaxed, closing his eyes again. "It's alright…not your fault…" With one last sigh, signaling he was ready to go to sleep, he dosed off-

"-FELT LIKE THE BIGGEST ASSHOLE, WHEN I KILLED YOUR ROCK AND ROLL, MOW DOWN THE SEXY PEOP-"

Roxas jumped from his seat, shrieking slightly and his foot had _somehow_ ended up on the dashboard. Axel laughed, turning down the volume as he looked over at him, "Sooorry about that, too."

Roxas held his fluttering heart in his chest with his hand and calmed down. He sighed tiredly again, slumping back in his seat and watching his house come into view, with, not surprisingly enough, an empty driveway.

Axel parked on the street like a gentleman and clicked the lock after Roxas stepped out and set the alarm. Roxas found the spare key, unlocked the door and replaced it underneath the mat, pushing the door open and letting Axel inside.

True, Axel had been inside Roxas' home before, but he looked around as if everything were brand new. He sighed contently, feeling Roxas come up next to him, lovingly leaning against him and sighing himself. Axel wrapped an arm over his shoulders smiling to himself as he looked around the dark, white, tall house.

"Want a soda?"

"Sure."

_**/L-C-C\**_

The night was supposed to go like so:

_"Hey Sora, how is it going?"_

_"Fine, Riku, how about with you?" _

_"Just peachy"_

The night, however, turned out like so:

_Some comes to door._

_Sora knocks._

_Sora is pinned to couch for passed two and a half hours._

Not that either of them had any objection to how it went. Riku was perfectly happy with his place on top of the younger boy, playfully battling him in tonsil hockey for control, and was content with letting Riku win… or at least _think_ he was.

Sora moaned into Riku's mouth, clawing gently at his hair and arcing his back against the older boy's insanely sensational touches, Riku bit down gently at Sora's bottom lip before lowering his head and kissing along his neck. Sora inhaled sharply at the enticing, feather light teases, bucking his hips into Riku's, laughing gently at the older boy's low groan.

He was already working on Sora's buttoned shirt and Sora was working on his belt buckle. Sora giggled, easily taking the belt off, "We're not going to the mall then, are we?"

"Fuck no." Riku replied, obviously thinking or nothing other than…_other_ things than their supposed date to the mall. It wasn't very Riku-like for him to swear, but considering the situation… it was safe to say Sora had the uncanny ability to turn the most respected gentleman into the worst gutter mouth.

After a sharp bite to his collar, Riku moved from the couch and picked Sora up. His legs wrapped tightly around his waist, arms holding onto the other boy's shoulders and biting his neck all the way up the stairs.

Sora's back connected with Riku's door, making the brunet moan both from pain and feeling Riku _poke_ him. Riku ground their jeans together roughly, banging the younger boy's body against the door, nearly knocking it off of it hinges. Riku fumbled with the handle of the door after sort of gaining some composure, opening the door, and slamming it shut again, not even bothering to lock it.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Axel…?" Roxas asked, sitting on another stool across from the older boy at the bar in the kitchen.

"Yeah, kiddo…" He answered, taking another sip of grape soda. He glanced up at the blue-eyed boy, not meeting his gaze. Roxas stared down at the floor, not up at Axel.

"What do you think Sora and Riku are doing right now?" He eyed the green eyed man with a smirk, almost expecting his answer.

"Fucking." He said bluntly, finishing off his soda and burping loudly, followed by a short, mumbled, "s'cuse me."

"Did you think they'd be on the couch talking about their feelings or somethin'? They're boys, all boys think about it sex and when there's an ass available, they wont think twice."

Roxas laughed again. Axel smirked, "No one can get pregnant, I'm sure Sora's pretty clean; when there're no drawbacks, who the hell cares, right?"

Roxas nodded, glancing up at his soda and setting it down on the counter, He sighed deeply, glancing back up at Axel, who was eyeing him carefully, "…Why do you ask?"

"No reason." He said, running a hand through his hair gently and sighing again. "But… It's just kind of…funny, yanno? It's kind of a scary number on how many people are fucking right now."

Axel chuckled, "Demyx sent me a text once saying that twenty thousand people were having sex, ten thousand people were fucking, nine thousand five hundred and ninety nine people were making love, four hundred were kissing and hugging, and one lonely dumbass was reading this text message."

Roxas looked up at Axel for the longest time before laughing so hard, he nearly fell out of the stool. Axel chuckled, "And I replied saying and another lonely dipshit is sending this out to his buddies who get more ass then he did. He didn't text back."

Roxas chuckled, eyeing Axel with a smirk. Axel yawned tiredly into his hand sighing into it and running a through his long mane of wild red hair.

"So, umm…if we…yanno… Then that would mean-"

"It'd be classified as Rape, kiddo, I'm not going to jail for that."

"Right, right…" Roxas laughed, scratching his cheek gently, feeling them flush. He quickly hopped off the stool and headed toward the living room, "Let's watch movies, 'kay?"

"Alright." Axel replied, lazily standing from the stool and yawning on his way to the living room, watching Roxas disappear upstairs. He plopped lazily on the couch, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

He heard Roxas call from upstairs – something about a movie title. Axel groaned and stood up, almost crawled up the stairs and waltzed into Roxas' room, "What?"

"I said," Roxas turned to face the older male from the DVD rack, "Did you want to watch a movie that… What are you looking at!?"

Axel's face reddened deeply at the sight before him. Roxas stood on his hands and knees, and in the midst of changing into his pajama pants, had bent down to look at his movie selection. A bright green dinosaur on the younger boy's ass stood out for the world to see; namely, Axel.

"I-I'm sorry!" He said, shielding his eyes and turning around from the door. Roxas blushed as well, finding his plaid pajama pants and silently slipping them on. He stood and cleared his throat.

"Talk about ironic, doncha think?"

Axel turned around slightly, glancing back with only one eye to make sure the coast was…clear. He turned around fully, still blushing profusely, and laughed nervously.

"Y-yeah, kinda. Now…what did you want again?"

"I was going to ask you if you wanted to watch a movie that was funny or scary."

"Oh, I don't care; up to you. I'll probably fall asleep in the first ten minutes." He laughed, heading back downstairs and sitting on the couch again.

Talk about awkward… And who the hell wore dinosaur undies at fifteen?"

Roxas came back down the stairs with a movie in hand, giggling slightly, probably at the selection, and carefully placed it into the DVD player. He sat down on the couch and snatched the remote to turn the TV on, and placed it onto the right channel and waited for the menu to pop up after the trailers.

He leaned against the older boy's body, almost _snuggling_ against him in order to get comfortable. Axel, too tired to really care, wrapped an arm delicately around his waist and draped his hand over his stomach. The trailers rolled on boringly until a grotesque, ugly man popped onto the screen, screaming into the mirror in front of him.

Axel groaned, and Roxas giggled. _The Hot Chick_

_**/L-C-C\**_

They had been parked in Sora's driveway for almost a half an hour not, and still the car rattled and thumped and made _odd_ noises that cars usually didn't make; especially at a quarter to ten at night.

Both boys had migrated to the backseat sometime ago; and sometime ago, the car began jumping along to their activities inside, creating a rather _uncomfortable_ setting for the neighbors and people walking by at this hour with their dogs.

Sora moaned Riku's name loudly into the warm air inside the car before both boy's released, spilling all over the back seats. Riku would have to clean that later, it was no big deal. Riku groaned uncomfortably, realizing his asscheeks were almost pressing against the window. He sighed, glancing down at Sora, who was in turn in an odd position, with his leg against the seats, one leg stretching in between he two front seats and the other splayed across the back window.

Riku leaned forward, placing kisses across the several hickeys and possible bruises across the younger boy's neck. Both of their hearts soared, and the car smelled…well, like sex. After a moment, Sora mentioned something related to it either being too hot in the car or not being able to breath, or probably both, and opened the door above his head.

Riku raised his head after a few moments, and propped it up with one hand, with his hair matted against a light layer of sweat on his forehead. Sora giggled, already knowing what was coming.

"I told you not to do that when I was _driving,_ Sora."

"Yeah well, Riku, why don't you just stop being so fucking hardcore when you're driving then? Then I wouldn't do _that_ when you were driving." He fisted Riku's hair and crashed their lips together forcefully, tangling their bodies again in an _almost_ comfortable position…_almost._

Riku laughed, half trying to pull his pants back up and look for Sora's shirt at the same time. Sora found the thing on the back dashboard and slipped it back on after getting out from underneath the older boy, who was successful in pulling his pants back up and buttoning them.

Sora sighed deeply, glancing over at Riku as he turned up to meet him eye to eye. Sora smiled brightly, leaning over and kissing the silver haired boy before both boys got out of the car, made out again, and Sora finally got to his front door and Riku sped away.

Sora tried to rub out the kink suddenly forming in his neck as he glanced around for the spare key and unlocked the door. He looked around the empty house, and trudged up to his room, and changed for bed.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Sora awoke the next morning with the glare of the sun shining through his window sharply…right into his eye.

He sat up from the bed and rubbed again at the small sore spot on the back of his collar. He stood up, and instantly decided on a shower.

He opened his door with a yawn, and was met by the sound of something crashing in the kitchen. He darted downstairs, sliding into the kitchen to watch as Mayuka threw down a carton of eggs onto the floor in a tearful fit. Sora glanced from the carton up to his mother's face, which was hidden with one hand covering half of it, streaked with tears.

"What's wrong…?" He whispered, carefully stepping over the spilled eggs and wrapped his arms around the older woman. She clung onto him as uncontrollable sobs escaped her thin frame, shaking her entire body.

"What's the matter?" He asked again, leading them both to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair and let Mayuka sit down carefully before grabbing a seat of his own, dragging it closer to her. After a moment, she looked up at Sora with the same blue eyes that he had inherited.

"I'm so sorry, honey…" She sobbed, running a hand through her dark brown hair and sighed shakily.

"Sorry for what?"

"I mean, it wasn't like it was my fault, I was early every fucking morning for those pricks, I never got a damned order wrong, I knew when to cut off the drunks-" She paused herself, glancing up again at Sora and sighing again.

"They had budget cuts again Sora, and I was on the list…"

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N:** "Fever For The Flava" by Hot Action Cop, and "Killed Rock and Roll" by System of a Down.

And I really got Axel's text message, btw. Thanks, Ethan.

PLOT TWIST!! ZOMG!!

Hey…Reviews are shiny, aren't they? C'mon…no more hiatus! Yay!

And if you spot a huge error, please let me know and forgive me; it was uber late last night when I copied it over sooooo...yeah.


	10. Level 10

**Life's Cheat Code**

**-Level 10: Begin-**

With the money she had in her pocket, Mayuka had gone shopping for more eggs and a few other things at the grocery store. Sora locked himself in his room and never thought he could cry so much.

He was so close, _so damn close_ to getting out of Felicity.

He had to have money, he had to keep the house, he had to keep the electricity and the water bills paid…

But how was he going to keep Riku, too?

He sat up from his bed and brushed the hair from his puffy red eyes and sighed. He dried his tears and reached for his cell phone, dialing a number he knew by heart.

"Hey…Riku?"

**/L-C-C\**

"He WHAT!?"

Axel got up from the couch, dropping Roxas onto the cushions and looked around for his boots, "But I thought – but, but – you guys fucked like, every night!"

"Shh, Axel!" Roxas said, getting up and pressing stop on the DVD player. He scurried and stopped in front of Axel just in time for his hand to come out and grab his shoulder for leverage while putting on his boot and muttered an apology, still holding the phone up to his ear.

"How did… Why, Riku? …What do you mean he didn't say!?"

Roxas pressed a finger to the older boy's lips and looked for his other boot. He jumped at it at the end of the couch and slightly bonked his head on the arm of the couch.

He stifled his cry in pain and only rubbed it as he gave Axel his other shoe, "Okay, dude, I'll be right there, okay? Don't move, don't…don't piss until I get there, understand?" And he hung up.

"What's wrong with Riku?"

"Your little stripper friend dumped him!"

"…What?"

"Yeah, Sora just called him at the crack of dawn this morning to break up with him!" He shuffled around and found his coat. "Get dressed, you're coming with me."

"O-okay, um, wait…why?"

"He didn't even say, he just told him he loved him and then he said they were better off friends."

"Oh…" Roxas looked down at the carpet covered stairs he slowly tramped up them to get dressed.

"Ya better hurry, Riku gets kinda…suicidal."

**/L-C-C\**

Riku hadn't moved since the phone call.

He had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie and the next morning, he gets the call.

The most Axel and Roxas had done was sit him up and tried to talk to him. Axel even got a gallon of mint ice cream on the way over.

The three of them now had spoons, and it was only Riku who didn't touch it. Axel was almost inhaling it and Roxas took a spoonful every couple of minutes.

They chose not to talk. Not much, anyway. Roxas sat on Riku's right and Axel sat on his left. The ice cream sat in Riku's lap loosely, and all Riku could do was stare at it.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Axel said, mouth half full of mint, "You fon't neef fat kid anyfayf."

Riku didn't even look up.

Roxas tried not to glare at Axel; that was his best friend, _hello_?

Roxas stood up, watching Riku pick up his head to look up at him. Roxas then turned to Axel, who still had a glob of ice cream in his mouth, and some not, and had stopped chewing and was looking up at him blankly.

"Take me to Sora's, please?"

Axel swallowed, mouth still covered in the stuff, and glanced at Riku, who had glanced in his direction also.

Axel sighed and stood up, taking both Roxas and his spoons to the sink and quickly following the younger boy out the door. He looked back at Riku, and then he was gone.

"This isn't like Sora…"

"Chya, I'll say." Axel said, catching up to the kid and unlocking the doors, "What are you doing to say?"

"I'll just ask if he's alright. I mean… He practically is in _love_ with Riku, it just doesn't make any sense…"

Roxas sat in the passenger seat quietly and waited impatiently until Sora's house came into view, and told Axel to stop a few houses down.

"I'm going back to Riku's, okay? Call me if you need anything."

"Okay, I'll see you later then."

Roxas closed the door and all but ran to the house. He knocked on the door quietly, "S-Sora?"

No answer.

"Sora, it's Roxas."

He pressed his ear against the door and heard the older boy's footsteps, and nearly fell when it opened up.

Roxas looked up after regaining his balance, and almost fell again. Sora's eyes were puffy and his cheeks were wet and he was currently rubbing at his eye to hide it.

"H-hey Roxas, what's up?"

"Sora you look terrible."

"Yeah, no kiddin'?" He chuckled, and his smile turned into a sob again shortly afterwards. He grabbed onto Roxas, almost making the younger boy fall, bawling into his sweatshirt.

Difficult as it was, Roxas finally got the older boy to sit with him on the couch, which hadn't lasted very long. Sora would stand every couple of seconds and pace the room.

"So, what happened?"

Sora groaned, running hands through his hair and balling his fists tightly. "I don't know, Roxas, I don't know."

"Why'd you break up with him?"

"I don't _know,_ Roxas."

"Sora, what's the-"

"_I don't know, Roxas!_ For fuck's sake, I don't fucking know!"

Roxas cringed slightly, putting an arm up as a feeble defense. Sora only glared with tears in his eyes before scrambling his hands through his hair again, groaning loudly into the room.

Roxas didn't move. Sora's been mad, crazy-mad, but not _this_ mad. He watched Sora sink to his knees, hands finally losing aggression and returning to his sides.

"Mayuka got fired, Roxas…" He muttered, swiping the tears away from his eyes and sniffling slightly.

That was when it clicked.

Roxas sprang from the bed, and grabbed Sora by the shoulders, "When?"

"Yesterday." He sniffled again, "Budget cuts, fucking _budget cuts!_"

"It's okay, Sora, she'll have no problem finding another…job."

Sora didn't say anything.

He wrapped his arms around the younger boy's waist and pulled him into a hug. Roxas wrapped his arms around the older boy's shoulders and heard him sniffle in his ear.

He didn't realize they were walking backwards until the door met his back, one of Sora's hands moved from his waist to his hair. Sora picked his head off of the younger boy's shoulder and looked him in the eyes before wetting his lips and pressing them against the younger boy's.

Roxas' eyes went wide, and his arms flexed to push the older boy away, but the tongue poking at the entrance of his mouth made his muscles go slack. He parted his lips in the slightest bit before the older boy's tongue invaded and poked around.

Roxas couldn't think. He felt a hand tug at his belt before it came loose and was dangling from the loops, and he felt the heat rushing to his cheeks as the button popped and the zipper fell.

"…So-_ra!_"

He managed to escape Sora's mouth in time to moan at the contact of Sora's hand around his arousal. The older boy's lips moved to his neck, swiftly biting and sucking in spots Roxas weren't even sure existed, still ghosting his fingers over his length.

He wanted this; he needed this. He wanted to be touched; he _craved_ the contact…

Roxas raked his nails across Sora's shirt, fisting it tightly and moaned loudly as he felt himself grow hard. He breathed in the older boy's ear and rocked against his hand and tried not to be loud.

Sora pulled the younger boy's face up to his for another kiss, tongue easily gaining access into his mouth. Roxas' back left the door and pressed even further against Sora's body, hands circling his neck and lacing in his hair.

When Sora threw Roxas against the door again, it wasn't there.

Roxas landed hard on the cement stair with his right elbow hitting the sidewalk. He hissed slightly in pain before looking up at the open door.

"Take _that_," He pointed at the younger boy's spread legs, "And go play with Axel. We don't need your help."

Roxas glared as the door slammed in front of him and locks clicked. He stood up, and dusted off his pants and examined the throbbing pain in his elbow, and dismissed it as merely a scratch.

_…Axel?_

Oh…_fuck._

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N**: o.o…I dunno where Sora's breakdown came from either.

Excuse the shortness.

PotC3three times!!! XDDDD :B


	11. Level 11

**A/N:** Review Number 100: Blaqk-Fire-Inside

Thanks, Nicole.

**Life's Cheat Code**

**-Level 11: Begin-**

Axel jerked awake suddenly in the armchair, in turn making Riku jump and look at him. Axel groaned as he reached into his pocket and grabbed his jumbling phone.

"Blocked number." He mumbled, flipping it open and suppressing a yawn, "Yellow."

"Check on Roxas. He's home."

Axel paused, "Wait, why?"

"Because I asked you to."

"…Who is this?"

Dial tone.

_**/L-C-C-\**_

Roxas crumpled to his knees against the lawn of his own house, panting heavily with tears streaming his cheeks. He never knew he could run so fast.

He stumbled into the house and bumped into the coffee table, hissing in slight pain from the jab to his shin. He careened into the kitchen, throwing off his sweatshirt from the sudden wash of heat running through his body.

Roxas reached as far as he could into the back of one of the cabinets, scrambling around on his tiptoes, shirt inching off his belly in search of the desired bottle.

He grabbed _something_ and brought it down; he then through it carelessly at the wall to splatter when he discovered it was a bottle of ranch dressing.

This time he climbed onto the counter and looked at what the fuck he was doing, and looked around the back of the cabinet, groaning when it wasn't there.

He climbed off and rested against it, running a hand through – Freezer!

He skidded to the fridge, opened up the freezer and groped around. He pulled out the bottle, and sighed a little, almost ripping the top off and taking the biggest drink of Jack Daniels he had ever taken before.

He kept the bottle with him as he moved to the couch, plopping down awkwardly.

He. Was falling. For. His best friend.

Roxas unscrewed the cap of the bottle again and drank, ignoring the intense burn running down his throat.

This was not good.

_**/L-C-C-\**_

Sora flipped his phone closed and stuffed it back into his pocket, sighing gently as he stepped into Felicity's back door, fashionably late for his appointment…by an hour and half.

Forty-five minutes was spent pacing his room, forty minutes getting dressed, and five minutes running as fast as his skinny legs would take him down the God-forsaken establishment.

The locker room was hotter than Hades; of _course_ they couldn't afford AC or heating, not with Rufus Shinra running the place.

Speak of the devil…

The older man stepped into the locker room just in time to watch Sora almost collapse against the lockers from the heat of the room.

He only smiled as fake-sympathetically as he could, and motioned for Sora to follow with a single finger.

Sora said nothing as they walked across the empty tables, catwalk, and bar and into Rufus' office, where a nice, wooden stool was already waiting for him.

Sora sat without a word and sighed with his eyes closed. A man with oddly pale skin and jet-black hair eventually trotted into the room with a mask on and a utility belt…filled with needles.

"You've denied this position for years, what made you reconsider?"

Rufus asked after what seemed like hours; and, unfortunately, after what seemed like the beginning of the Swiss-Sora revolution as well.

"Um…things-_ow!_"

He smiled, "You're getting your tongue done too, okay?"

"I don't think my mother will like me coming home covered in holes, Rufus." He said more of a pleading tone than a threatening one.

The older man chuckled, "You probably wont be home often, anyway."

"Oh…"

The only male silent in the room, or rather, the man poking holes in Sora's ears and belly button, reached delicately into Sora's mouth to grab the boy's tongue. Sora put up only a minor struggle before clenching his hands around the stool he was sitting on.

"You sure about this, kid?"

"Noth thealy."

Rufus shook his head, "Make sure to keep those clean, Sora; infected piercings are not very attractive."

"OW _fuck!_"

_**/L-C-C-\**_

Sora tongued the barbell in his mouth carefully, walking down the sidewalk and heading home after being told how to clean said barbell, his Industrial, the new dangling thing on his belly button and the conches that decorated both ears. He sighed, wondering how exactly Mayuka was going to react to these… He swiped a hand through his hair, sighing in relief when no car appeared in the driveway.

He jumbled the door open and closed it behind him, resting up against it and closing his eyes.

The growl from his stomach made him smile and head toward the kitchen. He slunk over the fridge with a slight bounce in his step and opened it, bending down slightly to glance around inside.

Ranch dip, a few drops of Pepsi in a bottle, something from three nights ago, and a half-gone gallon of milk. He sighed, closing the fridge door and looked in the cabinets and found nothing but stale crackers and cereal.

His stomach growled again, and Sora tapped it, "Oh, shut up."

_**/L-C-C-\**_

"Check on Roxas, huh?" Axel mumbled to himself, bringing out his phone again to try to get a hold of the blond haired boy.

Once again, no answer.

Axel yawned, stopping the car at yet another stop sign on his way to the younger boy's house.

He was probably playing videogames in his underwear and finally beating the crap out of that one chick in Devil May Cry 3, and his phone was on vibrate and on his bed!

The redhead sighed, wondering if Riku was going to be okay with him gone.

He literally had to knock the kid out by sneaking prince valium into his ice cream and use a funnel to make him eat.

Well, not quite a funnel, just a little persuasion, but a funnel would make a funnier story to tell Roxas when he came by.

He tried his phone again. Still no answer.

He tried Sora's cell phone, and it went to his answering machine.

Okay, this was annoying.

"Check…on…Roxas." He said again, finally pulling up to the younger boy's house and parked on the street. He sighed tiredly, wiping the corners of his eyes and straightening his mane of hair.

He walked up to the door, and tapping gently on the door with the knuckle of his right index finger, watching the door slide open after a few short knocks, "Roxas?"

Axel stepped inside, glancing around the darkened room, "Oh Roxas, where art thou-"

He kicked something.

He looked down and watched a bottle roll away and tap against the leg of the coffee table, where even more bottles littered the surface. He picked one up, and grimaced at the Jack Daniel's label; that shit was horrible tasting. Fucked you up good, too.

He glanced at the couch and at the crumpled Roxas, shirt and hair mussed and limbs sprawled carelessly; which was rather unlike Roxas; he was usually very to-himself when he laid down.

It didn't surprise Axel that Roxas was a bit of a heavyweight neither.

He knelt down next to the blond boy, and felt along his burning forehead and tsked slightly. Axel stood up and decided to at least begin clearing the room of the bottles before one of the kid's parent's came home and _assumed_ that it was Axel who got the kid drunk in the first place!

He sighed, half annoyed, half worried. He carefully dropped the bottles into the recycling can and walked back inside.

"Whath you've done!"

He yelped slightly at the shock that went through his spine and glanced up at the doorway to the kitchen from the living room.

There, in all his half-drunken, half-hung over, slightly cross-eyed glory, stood Roxas hanging onto the doorframe for dear life.

"Where'did Jacky go?"

"Roxas, lay down." Axel instructed, trying to stifle the amused laugh that bubbled from his stomach.

"Ace, I am _not_…mm…NOT laying down with you!" He stumbled into the kitchen and held onto the island for support, "Ace…make the roomy stoppy with…with the spinny!"

"it's _Axel_, Roxas." He said, holding the younger boy up easily, "What in the world made you think drinking alone was a good idea? Where's Sora? Did you get anything?"

"…S…So-ra?" Roxas perked up, "He made my elbow hurt!!"

"What?"

"He-he pushed me! And-and…and that's all I remember." Roxas slurred slightly, hanging onto Axel suddenly in fear of falling off the Earth.

Axel grabbed the younger boy's arm, looking at one elbow and realized it must've been the _other_ elbow… He grabbed Roxas' right arm, hearing Roxas hiss slightly, and examined the slightly scraped abrasion on his elbow, "You fall on the cement?"

"Mhmm."

"Why'd he push you?"

Roxas stayed quiet.

Axel sighed, and all but dragged the younger boy up the stairs and into the bathroom in search of a band-aid. He set Roxas on the toilet while he rummaged through the medicine cabinet.

Roxas still was quiet; he didn't even flinch when Axel placed the antiseptic on the scrape and put the band-aid on.

"What's the matter? You sobering up now?"

Roxas glanced up and smiled slightly before looking back down at the floor. His stomach bubbled nauseatingly and before either of them knew it, Roxas was bent over into the toilet while Axel soothingly ran fingers through his hair.

As soon as Roxas was able to walk again, Axel told him to rinse his mouth a few times while he got him a glass of water, once again rummaging through cabinets to find aspirine.

Maybe then he could get the story out of him later.

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+  
_

**A/N:** I have a favor to ask you, my loyal readers. There's this story, see? It's called Chthonian. If any of you have read Underworld, which I wrote like, about a year or so ago, it's the sequel to that. 

Even though it has nothing to do with the first story, and begins with a vigorous, hungry, angry, sadistic sex scene, It seems to be widely…unpopular.  
I ask you humbly; please, just take a simple look. I've worked hard on that story; so very hard. R+R That, you don't even have to review this, seriously; it's depressing me. If had the ability to show the up arrow, I'd show you how sad I am.

If you got this far, I thank you even more. I love all you guys though…seriously. Cookies for all.


	12. Level 12

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 12: Begin-

School started, and Roxas was a Junior.

Sora was supposed to be one too, but he wasn't there on the first day.

Or the second…

On the third day, Roxas recognized a tuff of brown hair that looked familiar and chased him down.

He was still mad. He was still confused; he needed to talk to Sora.

He closed his eyes for only a second, running through the crowds in the quad to get closer, and he was gone in an instant.

Roxas looked around, sighing when he couldn't find the older boy.

The bell rang, and he was late to third period.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Always smile."

"I know."

"Keep your legs spread."

"I _know._" 

"Stand up straight."

"_I know._" 

"Good then." Rufus grinned, swatting the younger boy on the butt.

"Go get em, tiger."

Sora yelped and turned to say something, but the door had already shut.

His skirt felt awkward. His shirt was too high, and the neck was too low. His stockings were nice though, they were pink and white striped…but his shoes gave him another four inches…who knew that was why girls wore these things?

And Zidane helped him with the makeup, again.

He walked (thanks to the practice in heels on the catwalk) along the road, clinging to the lollipop Rufus had given him as an 'effect', and got to the dingy corner where he sat innocently on the curb, tonguing the cherry lollipop.

Fucker was really good.

Erm…_sucker._

A car only showed up after the lollipop was long gone, still coating the inside of his mouth and staining his already cherry tainted lips. 

Sora stood gracefully, dusting off his skirt a little and looked into the car's passenger side window, sweeping a few stray bangs from his eyes and flashing a smile, almost… _Almost_ tiredly.

"…going my way?"

_**/L-C-C\**_

It wasn't like calculus wasn't important.

Calculus taught a lot of important things necessary for life; like accounting, or engineering, computer stuff…

Riku's mind couldn't stop wandering. The window was a ton more entertaining then anything the ancient teacher could ever talk…at the moment, anyhow.

The same question would not stop pestering his aching head: _"Why?"_

It was simple. A simple question that could probably only be answered by the right person…

The problem was…where _was_ the right person?

_**/L-C-C\**_

_"Are you still thinking about it?"_

Axel grumbled, taking a sip of the coffee in his hand, wetting his lips after he did so.

"I dunno... I mean, I am still thinking about it; I just don't know."

_"Roxas still keeping ya?"_

"…Yeah." 

He heard Reno chuckle, _"Yanno…kid's old enough to take the damn train back and forth. You are too, bud."_

Axel took another sip of coffee, slightly spinning in the stool in the cold, calm coffee shop and staring out into space.

"Yeah…I know."

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N:** Routine touch-up.

Apologies for the shortness; more like an info-chapter more than anything.

To be honest, I lost my standpoint with this story. I had no idea where it was spiraling into, no idea where to go to next. Not a single clue.

Eternamente saved my effin' life.

I love that kid. Srsly.

Well, I'm off to redirect/reconstruct/correct my train of thought. LAWL Comment/Review. Yesplz!?

_IMPORTANT!_

If you still have not checked out my other story, Chthonian, please do. Sex/Vampires/Boy-Sex/Drugs…everything a crackfic will ever need. :P


	13. Level 13

**Life's Cheat Code  
-Level 13: Begin-**

Roxas drummed his fingers against the diner table, eyes half lidded as he looked out the window, still organizing his thoughts to answer Axel's question without raising more in odd suspicion.

"I dunno," He shrugged, "I get a problem I don't think I can handle, or I get depressed, I just…drink."

Roxas glanced at Axel for his reply. Axel sat with his arms crossed and looked down at the floor in thought, finally nodding after a moment.

"When did that start?"

"When I was thirteen. When my dad died. I found the gin and… It tasted awful, I don't really know how I kept going after that… But, I did, and… Yeah."

Axel nodded again, still keeping his eyes downcast. Roxas wrapped his cold hands around the mug of hot cocoa, staring blankly at its cooling contents. He had it sitting on the table for over an hour now. Axel didn't seem to mind.

"Does it make you feel better?" 

Roxas glanced up only for a second before looking back out the window. He thought for a second before nodding absentmindedly and sighing, finally taking a sip of the cocoa.

Axel grabbed his dying cell phone to check the time. He sighed, looking up at the younger boy expressionless. "You were supposed to be home an hour and a half ago."

"What the hell do I care." He spat, taking another few gulps of the cocoa and wiping off his lips. "Yori won't be home. She won't care."

"Roxas-"

"Sora's never even at _school,_ Axel." Roxas took his eyes off the ground and looked the older in the eyes. "It's like he's disappeared off the face of the Earth! I haven't talked to him _once_ since that night…"

"You still haven't told me what happened to make him push you."

Roxas clenched his fingers around the mug. "Nothing really."

"Well, you refuse to go over there to just _talk_ to the kid and straighten things out, Roxas, _something_ happened, and you just don't want to tell me."

"Nothing happened, Axel."

The redhead only glared daggers into the floor while Roxas redirected his eyes outside the window. Axel sighed, grabbing the small leather booklet at the edge of the table and placed a few bills inside before standing and beginning to walk toward the glass double doors of the diner. Roxas downed his cocoa and quickly followed.

Roxas stuffed his hands into his pockets, following a few feet behind the redhead back to his car for a ride home. He glared at the leaves on the ground and the cold weather-induced goose bumps making his skin crawl. Today was supposed to be a good day; he was just supposed to spend it with Axel and it was supposed to be pleasant.

But he had to bring up the damn drinking thing.

That sent the whole thing down the shitter. Roxas all but slammed the car door as he plopped down annoyedly, buckled his seatbelt and crossed his arms over his chest like a disgruntled child. Which was how he felt at the moment.

Axel started the car and drove off, at an abnormally fast speed, but Roxas couldn't have cared less. He kept quiet, eyes boring holes into the glass window as he glared absently at the annoying houses and annoying trees and lights. Christmas was coming… He could smell it. 

"When was Thanksgiving?" He asked, already half expecting a melancholy 'weeks ago'.

"Today."

Roxas' eyes lightened.

"And Yori was working." He sighed. "Of course she was working."

Axel stayed silent, which was kind of what Roxas wanted anyway; he didn't feel like going into the whole charade of the question-asking and the whole dancing-around-the-answer screaming and the… yeah.

He stayed quiet when his house came into view. He stayed quiet even long after Axel turned off the car and only sat in the brewing silence with him.

"I hate Thanksgiving."

Roxas muttered, almost startling him as much it did Axel; which wasn't apparent on either accounts, but still nonetheless hovering.

"Why's that?"

"I don't like huge meals, or being trapped in the car for five hours driving up to Granny's house. My eight year old cousins can't keep their hands to themselves or shut up, and there is not another soul in my age group, so I can't really _talk_ to anyone and get a decent answer, and everyone is either under fourteen or in their hundreds!" Roxas nearly shouted, both arms in front of him, fingers flexed impossibly far apart in the air.

Axel only stared.

Roxas sighed loudly, murmuring something close to an apology, and began to unlock the door to the car to step out. He tried not to slam Axel's door, which proved successful. 

"Wait!" Axel said, getting out of the car and slamming it on his way out, not even bothering to lock it up. Roxas only turned for a moment before his back connected with the grass and Axel was above him.

"I hate Thanksgiving too, yanno."

"Why's that?"

"Allergic to turkey."

"Liar."

Axel chuckled. "I have the doctor's papers."

Roxas only laughed.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Sora shivered.

Knee-length stockings and a micro-skirt when winter was just around the corner may not have been the best idea. But who can honestly flaunt a windbreaker and four layers of pants?

He only wrapped his arms around himself tightly, teeth chattering against the cold gust of air soaring down the street; it probably didn't help that the curb was as cold as ice, either.

He sighed, dropping his head to rest on his knees. His sleep-deprived eyes feel closed, almost instantly, and he would have fallen asleep if the sound of a halting car two feet from him hadn't startled him.

Sora stood, arms still wrapped tightly around his form, and walked up to the window already rolled down.

"How much?"

Sora shivered.

_**/L-C-C\**_

The only thing Thanksgiving was good for was the football.

Axel had the popcorn, and Roxas sipped at the fizzling soda, and all Riku could do was stare at the screen.

He wasn't feeling better. He ran the equation in his head – millions of time – and still it didn't add up to the mess of a breakup almost two months before. 

Riku sighed. Football was boring to watch, even with Roxas there trying to understand which line exactly was the one the players were playing off of. He dismissed it as imaginary and continued to sip his soda.

Now, if Riku had been paying attention, he would have caught the five popcorn pieces being thrown at his head and would have told Axel to stop. But he simply did not care. 

"Roxas, see the big white forty?"

"…Yeah?" 

"See the big white fifty?"

"Yes."

"See how they're between them? _That's_ how they're on the forty-three."

"…Oh!"

_ Insert Coin To Continue? _

A/N: Well, I kind of gave Roxas a drinking problem without really going in depth with it, so…that's my back-story. :B

I hate Thanksgiving.

Can you believe it???? I kind of updated. :D


	14. Level 14

**A/N: **Beta'd by Blaqk-Fire-Inside.

I bear a gift for all my little AkuRoku fans. :D

**Life's Cheat Code  
-Level 14: Begin-**

That bastard with the brown hair showed up to school today.

Roxas thought once about following him, and then decided against it. Then he watched as the head of hair bounced off into another hallway and didn't even let Hayner finish his sentence before he trotted off in the same general direction.

He heard the three new buddies call after him as he kept a fixed stare on his destination.

When he got to the corner, Sora was out of sight. Roxas glanced around until the he caught sight of him again, going into one of the trigonometry classrooms.

The blond boy stormed toward the door, half angry, half nervous, and another ungodly half of everything else as he threw the door open, consumed by the quietness of the room.

"-and I was just wondering if I could take the test after school?"

Roxas shut the door and stared at it. He turned and walked briskly back toward the three dumbfounded replacement-friends and shrugged off their questions with a grin.

A plan formulated in his head, and all he could _do_ was grin.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Three tests, and a few homework assignments to do over the weekend.

It could have been worse; four tests and a mountain of homework, but it wasn't as bad as he thought. He told the teachers he had caught mono and they bought it nicely. Life was good.

Upon walking into the door of his humble abode, mother at the table asleep with the want ads in her hand, being used as a pillow, the house cold as the arctic, and a few bills scattered on the table, Sora couldn't help but feel his positive turn around begin to falter. He gathered the few letters from the table and headed up to his room, planning for the eventful night ahead.

Walking up the stairs felt different…or maybe sounded different. Music was playing. Probably Mayuka's television buzzing in all it's Court TV glory.

Opening the door to his own room, the sound reached his ears in full blast. And then everything fell to the ground from his hands.

"What are _you_ doing in _my_ room?"

"Who the hell is Blaqk Audio? I've never heard of them." Click, click.

"Static-X, Sick Puppies-" Scroll, scroll. "- Hawthorne Heights. Sora, you didn't."

Sora blinked. "What are you doing here, Roxas?"

It was more of a demand than a question.

Roxas took his eyes off of the screen and fixed them into a glare and aimed at the taller boy. He stood up, pushed the chair in, and crossed his arms.

"What's the matter with you?" He advanced; Sora flinched only slightly.

"Do you have any idea how much you're putting all of us through? Do you have any _fucking_ idea how much not knowing what the hell's the matter with you is killing Riku!? What happened to all your annoying happy music?"

"I deleted it."

"Well, no fucking dur. I mean _why_ did you delete it."

Sora glared. "Because I didn't _feel_ like being happy and annoying."

And a pause.  
"And I don't need you to remind me of that. Get out."

Roxas kept his ground, glare still boring holes into the older boy's eyes. After a moment he glanced down at the bills spread across his floor.

"What are these?"

"Fanmail."

Roxas scoffed. He bent over and picked one up, reading it aloud.

"…Water Company." He glanced around the pile, "Electric and rent bills."

Sora kept his eyes off of Roxas.

"How are you paying for all of these?"

No answer.

"You know, if you really wanted me to go, you would have already had me out that door."

"Yeah. I know."

"What's happening with you, Sora?"

Sora looked up at the younger boy. His eyes stung with the threat of tears. He took a deep breath.

"You look good, Rox."

_**/L-C-C\**_

In desperate need of a way to steer his best friend away from a meltdown, Axel turned to the only thing he could muster: acquiring a bag of the finest weed money could buy.

This task wasn't easy, and wasn't going to last long very long with Riku's predicament and Axel's need of a fix.

Amongst the chaos of smoke in Riku's room, Axel could not help but feel guilty as fuck.

It wasn't like keeping secrets from Roxas was easy. It wasn't like being dead stoned before Roxas makes plans for that night and trying just to shake it off was easy.

This had to have been the third blunt he was rolling for himself that he gave to Riku. How much longer could he keep it up before he either caved or Roxas found out?

He sighed, and ran his bony fingers through his hair in thought. Riku exhaled lightly, the smoke dancing and fading into the air in the room. Axel began to breathe in, only to exhale it shortly after word.

"Fuck."

It took a few seconds before Riku could reply. "What's the matter? Shouldn't you be smoking this or…something?"

He had to stifle a laugh.

"Just…not into it." Axel leaned back onto Riku's bed, breathing in the scent of fresh grass, giving him a short high after every inhale. He then stood up and opened the window, only to have Riku leap up and close it again.

"Do you have any idea what would happen if my parents found out about this?"

"You're nineteen."

"…So?"

"If they throw you out, you might not die. Plus you can take my extra room."

Riku glared, "That's not it, and you know it."

"I bought this for you so you can get so amazingly high you wouldn't even remember your name, and you're still able to walk around the room like you're sober. Get to it, lightweight. I'm taking a piss." Axel went for the door, sweeping his hand through the thick smoke in the air.

"God, what's got your panties in a bunch?"

The door clicked shut, and fresh air rushed into the redhead's lungs. He sighed deeply, shaking his head to keep his consciousness from swimming out of focus.

This. Was. Shit.

Axel headed to the bathroom, and took his leak, always wondering why Riku's parents kept the mirror over the back of the toilet. He glanced up to see his reflection. His eyes were red and puffy. He could have passed it off like he had been crying, but he had trouble deciding if that were better or worse than getting high in Riku's room.

He was washing his hands when the phone in his pocket began to vibrate. Axel had to dry his hands quickly before it had stopped. He looked at the name, and shook his head quickly to focus before answering.

"Roxas, you should be sleeping."

"I know, I know. Um…I was wondering if I could get a ride home…?"

Axel turned the faucet on, soaked his fingers and rubbed his eyes.

"Okay, um…where are – Why are you not home this late?"

"I had some stuff to take care of." He sounded like he was tired.

"Okay. Wh-where are you?"

"I'm, uh…I'm at Sora's place, Axel."

Axel paused.

"Oh really?"

_**/L-C-C\**_

"And…he couldn't stop telling me about these crazy things he's been through, and how much he's missed us, even _you._"

"Oh yeah, I'm so unbelievable to miss, Rox."

Roxas chuckled. He looked out the window of the car.

"He really wants to talk to Riku, he just doesn't know how to do it."

Axel stopped at the red light, stroking his unattended chin hair in thought. Luckily it hadn't seemed like Roxas noticed Axel's state.

"That's a thinker."

Roxas' house came into view and Axel pulled up to the curb. Axel gave himself one more unnoticeable shake of the head.

"What's wrong?" Roxas asked.

"Hmm…tired. Here's your stop, kid."

"Do you want to spend the night?"

"Oh, no, no, it's okay…"

Roxas' hand connected with Axel's on the armrest, making the redhead look at him.

"Please?"

Axel looked at Roxas. There was something different. He hadn't been this smiley, or this nice, or this willing to hang out in a long time. Axel smiled, turning the key to turn off the car and hopping out of the car.

Roxas walked up to the door without a word and opened it, closing it after Axel came in.

"So am I sleeping on the couch, or-"

And it was so unexpected that Roxas was on his toes, pressing his lips heavily onto the redheads, it truly was. And it was so sudden that their tongues were swirling and Axel was on his back on the couch, still trying to focus, but both highs were getting to be a little much, so he gave up and only went with it.

If Roxas did taste the marijuana on his breath, he didn't acknowledge it.

"Come to my room, okay? You're sleeping in there."

Maybe it was a trap.

Axel still followed the blond boy, regardless. They ventured up to his room, and Axel could have sworn he heard the door lock.

Roxas pounced onto the older male, sending them both to the bed. His smaller hands roamed over Axel's torso, and had finally managed to get the elder's shirt off.

Tongues played lazily until Roxas strayed away from his mouth, making a trail of kisses down to Axel's navel.

"What's gotten into you?"

Roxas only glanced, fumbling with Axel's belt buckle. "I dunno."

Axel shot up and grabbed his hands, looking him squarely in the eyes. This wouldn't be right. He could go to jail.

"It's okay." Roxas said, regaining his hands easily and chastely kissing the redheads cheek. Axel then laid back down, keeping his eyes on the blond blur.

"You have to be shirtless too, then."

Both highs would probably be his downfall, but that was _hours_ away.

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N:** I am VERY proud of that intro.

I am VERY proud of this chapter. I am VERY proud that this story is semi-coming-to-a-close.

This fic…TOTALLY went a-wall on me, right? And totally went its' own way instead of where I had it going. I'm glad of the outcome. Too bad not everyone who reads it reviews.

You know who you are. :B


	15. Level 15

**A/N:** If you need a refresh, it's understandable; go ahead, read a bit of the last chapter, this one won't go anywhere. :V

This is also unbeta'd. Like the rest of the chapters. If you feel like you could help me at all, even a little, you should be my beta. :D

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 15: Begin-

Upon waking up, and ignoring the intense taste of cotton and bed mouth, Axel realized he was alone. He reluctantly picked his tired body up into a sitting position, opened one eye to the blaring sunshine from the window, and glanced around the room.

He officially hadn't the slightest clue as to where Roxas had gone.

Axel groaned as joints popped back into life as he swung his legs off of the bed and settled his feet onto the floor. With a yawn, he stood and stretched his arms, hearing more joints pop and creak and snap, and –

He was naked.

Axel looked down to his fire-red happy trail and wondered where his boxers had flown off to; or his pantaloons, for that matter.

He found them by the mirror and his pants on the opposite side of the bed.

He had to find Roxas. Priority numero uno.

He did the fly and button as he opened the door of the younger boy's room and trotted down the stairs, listening to the sounds of the television on.

And, strangely enough, there was Roxas, watching his morning…Jerry Springer.

Roxas looked up at him as Axel plopped onto the couch next to him and sighed, putting a slender arm around the blond to pull him closer.

"You're up early."

Axel grinned tiredly, "What time is it?"

"Almost one-thirty."

"Wow geez, that is early."

Roxas settled closer to the other's body, turning his attention back to Jerry and the crazy, hillbilly, redneck guests.

"What did we do last night?"

Roxas scoffed, "What _didn't_ we do last night?"

"Was I rough?" Axel asked.

Roxas paused. This was getting a little awkward, having this person not _remembering_ the activities of the night before and trying to recall and reiterate said activities…

"I'm sore, if that's what you mean."

Axel grinned widely. He pushed the blond boy over, easily snaking his thin body between his legs and pinning his arms over his head. He pecked his lips tenderly, teasing his lips before kissing a trail down his cheek and to his neck, lapping his tongue gently against smooth, warming skin. He heard Roxas moan and all the events from the night before came flowing back, only fueling his movements.

He bit down on sensitive skin, moving the collar of the blond's shirt to access his shoulder to continue his biting. He felt the other's hips moving, grinding against his own with each bite he left. Roxas finally let out his restrained moans and his hands were released when Axel went for his shirt.

"W-what happened to the 'statutory rape' shit?"

Axel momentarily lifted the blond's body to get his shirt off and scoffed. "Fuck that."

Roxas laughed.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"And the only reason why he did it was because he couldn't bear the thought of cheating on you, Riku." Axel said in a low voice, watching the silver haired boy carefully. His eyes were downcast, making Axel and Roxas both uneasy.

Roxas shifted, leaning forward and lacing his hands in front of him, looking from the carpet of the living room up to Riku. He didn't move.

Axel uncrossed his legs, stood up and sat back down next to him. He patted Riku on the head, ruffled his hair, and sighed.

"Want to see people who are in worse situations than yours? I'll bet it will cheer you up."

Riku tsked. "Because, you know, there are things worse then finding out the guy you were dating left you to work on the streets. Sure Ax, why not."

And Axel suddenly had an unfamiliar look on his face.

_"GET THE FUCK UP!!"_

Roxas jumped, Riku only looked at him, eyes as wide as dinner plates. Axel had a look of 'oh, my god, when did I stand up?' before he went on.

"Get up, and just go do something! You have been sitting here ever since that _faithful_ day you got dumped, feeling sorry for yourself and just being helpless little Riku for two months!"

Riku looked either like he could interject at any second and wanted to hear what he had to say or like he was at a loss for words.

Axel stood and paced, looked at the silver haired boy; this awkward pause had gone on a little too long for a continuation of this conversation, yet he was known for his awkward…awkwardness.

"Not a _single_ person has ever made you break down like this Riku, and it's freaking me out. If you don't go and do something, I don't know, go take a piss, go make a sandwich and watch football, _anything,_ I will leave, and stop feeling sorry for you."

He was pulling this out of his ass, and it was rehearsed; Roxas really tried not to laugh at the redhead or kill the roll he was on. Axel was done this time, though, and he stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest, and held his head up for a minute, staring at Riku down his nose.

Riku didn't do anything.

Axel sighed in an annoyed fit, scrounged around for his car keys and tapped Roxas on the shoulder before heading out the door. The metal screen door sprung back and slammed against the frame, making Roxas once again flinch. Axel's engine roared from the curb outside.

Roxas sighed, and looked up at Riku, with his head hanging low and an undeterminable look on his face. The engine revved again from the curb, and Roxas stood. He looked down at Riku, who was staring at the carpet with almost a scowl on his face, walked up to him and patted his shoulder.

After another intimidating roar from the curb outside, Roxas flew out the door, leaving Riku behind.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Sora hurt.

His fingers hurt, his arms were sore, his knees were sore, he had a headache, and it was only 11:37 at night. Pain would have to be tended to later; for now, Sora would raid the kitchen.

Tonight's squeeze had a nice sized house with at least an upstairs and a nice kitchen. He wasn't a great lay, which would explain the entire house being empty, and had literally conked out after the first go, leaving Sora with some food time.

He wouldn't mind the three soup cans, bag of chips, juice box, two slices of bread and the peanut butter and jelly missing from his kitchen. And as long as the television was low, he was sure he wouldn't mind him watching the old-school batman cartoons he had on DVD, either. Hopefully, anyway.

Sora figured he would stay here the rest of the night; he couldn't leave without his money, after all. He washed his dishes and found the blankets and curled up on the couch in front of the television for some sleep.

Everything. Hurt.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Roxas sat with his arms and legs crossed early the next morning, not even wondering when Axel would wake up after the wild, animalistic sex the night before, not wondering how Riku was doing, and not wondering if he had anything to do from school.

No, today, Roxas was wondering how this situation was going to fix itself. Sora was stuck in this rut that he had given up on getting out of, Riku was lost to the thought of his boytoy becoming another dude's boytoy, and Axel had just plain given up. And Roxas was falling for the brunet on top of it all.

This would HAVE to be a phase. Things Sora had done had never really affected him like this before. The groping from the last time he had seen the taller boy hadn't had the same…well, Sora-Love he usually puts into everything he did, weird as it sounded. He had to see him.

The only problem was the hour and a half walk, and the sleeping lummox net to him, who had somewhere started snoring in his thought processing.

Roxas would have to wait…and plan.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Okay, that's all of it, all $450 of it."

Sora didn't run cheap. _He was a quality fuck,_ He was quietly thinking to himself as he took the money, thanked the nice man for his food and shelter for the night, apologized for taking it without asking, and even kissed him on the cheek. He was an aging guy, already getting some grey's and his skin wrinkling in certain places.

Sora mentally shivered.

He adjusted his coat and trotted down the paved path in his high heels up to Rufus' limousine, proudly sporting the ShinRa logo on the side. Rude, the driver, opened the door for him as he waved goodbye one last time before getting into the car, sitting to none other than the power-mad mongle himself.

"He…seemed nice." Sora said, avoiding Rufus' stare and looking down at the floor of the car.

"He paid well, I suppose…?"

"He paid in full." He replied, flipping through the bills, recounting them.

"Good then. Rude, back to Felicity, please." He said over his shoulder to his driver.

"I want to go home, Rufus, I need to go check in."

"You need to do as I say, or I'll start garnishing your wages like I should be."

Sora raised his eyebrows and sat back in his seat, staying quiet. He crossed his legs and huffed, looking out the tinted windows at the dark-bluish, snowy world. He remembered being stuck out there all night once. He decided to walk home, and was numb all over by the time he got into his warm soft bed.

"I'm not going to dance. My feet hurt."

"Beauty is pain, lovely." Rufus replied. Sora sighed annoyedly.

"Why don't _you_ walk around in these damned shoes then?"

"Now, now, you need to rest your feet." He said, grabbing Sora's shaven leg and hoisting it up and grabbing his foot, undoing the high heel and began massaging.

This was beyond creepy to the brunet boy, who in turn tried to take his foot back. "I don't want a massage."

"Well then, needy brat, what do you want?" He said, throwing Sora's foot away from him and glaring at the brunet.

"I want to _go **home!**_"****He shouted as he threw his fist into the older man's jaw, causing the wheels of the limousine to screech to a halt as Rude slammed on the brakes and threw the two off the seats.

Sora undid the other shoe, unlocked the door of the car and ran. He _ran_. He wasn't sure if anyone was following him, he wasn't sure if he was exactly going the right way, but he ran. The thought of being home was top priority at the moment, and nothing, Sora knew, was really fast enough to stop him.

He did hear the car wheels squeal to life after him, though, causing him to run faster, and take a few turns down some bad alleys and up some bad roads, but Sora eventually lost the limousine. He didn't even really mind if Rufus knew where he lived; he just needed the break.

It turned out that they were still quite a ways from his house, even after the chase. When he did arrive, it was late afternoon, and his lack of shoes had left his toes feeling like they had fallen off.

He shut the front door behind him and ran up the stairs to take a shower, already realizing that his mother was not home. Which was no big surprise.

He ran the water scalding hot. It burned his piercings, it burned his skin, but worst of all, it burned his _feet_. After the shower Sora tried his best to stay off of them. He went to his room with a towel around his waist and dirty ho-clothes in hand, which he tossed into a corner to be forgotten. That part was over now. He was going to get…

"What's this?" Sora said aloud, which he hadn't meant to, as he looked at…well, something.

It was an envelope. A lime-green envelope, with his name written in cursive and black ink on the top of it. He didn't remember seeing it before. And it was his favorite color, he would have surely seen it before. He picked it up and opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper.

_Sora,  
Thursday at 7:30pm.  
Bishop's Pagoda.  
We should talk. _

There was no signature at the end of the folded paper. Sora looked at it peculiarly, even turning it over a few times. It didn't look like anyone's handwriting he knew… was he going to go?

He had a day to think about it. Maybe he would go to school tomorrow. Maybe. Sora fumbled with the paper to stuff it back into the envelope and put it back on his desk. He walked to ward his bed, glancing back at the paper, and humming to himself. It was odd...someone had gotten into his room while he was gone; or had gotten his mother to put it on his desk for him.

Well…whatever. His mind couldn't concentrate anymore; it was only seven and he was completely drained. The brunet climbed into bed and nestled in the blankets until he was comfortable enough to fall asleep.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"Okay, this is from two weeks ago, this is the Othello report. And here is the Oedipus Trilogy Vs. Star Wars comparison… And the Shakespearean Sonnet paper, I will have done…soon."

Ms. Lockhart skimmed across the two reports before looking back up at the smiling brunet boy. "And Sora, from what I've read so far, these are both…"

Sora held his breath.

"… Going to be excellent papers-" Sora exhaled. "These will bump up your grade for sure. I'm still not very clear on how you've missed so much school and still maintain straight B's."

"Well, I've had help; my buddy Roxas gives me the assignments…or, used to anyhow."

She straightened the papers and set them neatly on her desk before grabbing another, seemingly unimportant paper from the opposite corner and taking a pencil from her assorted bunch in a cup. "That sonnet paper was due today. If you hand it in tomorrow, that would be nice, but I can understand if you're not here."

"I think I will."

She glanced up at him. "Wow Sora, a whole two days in a row for you? It's simply impossible."

He only grinned widely. "I'll see you tomorrow then." Sora spun around on his heel, and headed for the door to the quieting quad. School hadn't been too bad today; he didn't miss the people, but it was as relaxing as it was going to get these days; the quiet before the Finals-Storm-of-Doom.

Sora sighed, adjusting the strap on his bag before making his way to the gate that would take him home for the time being. He had a date tonight; with a stranger, _big_ surprise.

He shouldn't have worn chuck tailors to school when it was snowing; he had to walk in the swept streets to avoid the slushy buildup between his toes. He hadn't seen Roxas today; whether that was good or bad never made its' way across his mind as he walked down his street with the barren trees and not when he finally came up to his doorstep to an empty, quiet –

"Sora? Is that you?"

Sora stopped in his track and glanced around the house. The brunette woman came rushing out from the kitchen, face brightening as she laid eyes on Sora before squealing loudly and wrapping her arms around his taller form and shaking him back and forth.

"It's been days since I've seen you!" She said as she suddenly released him, Sora sucking in a large breath of air and stumbling a little.

Her smile turned into a look of disappointment. "Where have you _BEEN?_ I've been worried sick about you!"

"I've been out, mom."

"Out where? I called Roxas' mom, and you haven't been there; I called everyone else I could think of, and it was like you dropped off the face of the planet!"

"I've just been…earning money, 'tis all." He said, watching as her eyes dulled and her expression dwindled into one of thought.

"Earning money?"

"To help, you know, pay for stuff."

Mayuka looked Sora over. "Like…bills? _You_ have been the one taking the bills from the mailbox, haven't you? You've been taking them, and _paying_ them? Is that why we still have our house? Water? Electricity?"

Sora blinked.

"What kind of money are you making?"

Sora didn't speak. He was looking down at the floor. "Can we talk about this later?" He glanced up, "We have catching up to do. And I have a date tonight, soooo…I kinda need a ride."

Mayuka set her hands on her hips, and giggled after a moment. "Well…alright. But I'm not going to let it go."

_**/L-C-C\**_

This restaurant was kind of cute.

It was decorated in all sorts of oriental lights and hanging things and sets of chopsticks on each table. It was a sushi restaurant; go figure.

Sora didn't really like it. It was a little too…unauthentic. Maybe they were compensating for something, like the only sushi they had were California rolls or other fake-Japanese foods. He felt slightly offended.

He sat alone at one of the tables. Sitting alone always was an awkward situation, especially when it was a good twenty minutes you've been sitting, by yourself, drinking lemonade, next to the loudest Asian people ever.

Dressing himself was rather difficult before this ordeal. A lot of his clothes were dirty, and he had to settle on jeans, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and his dryer-dried chucks.

He sighed, and stopped being polite and keeping his elbows to himself by placing them underneath his head on the table. Maybe this was a set-up… Sora growled underneath his breath. He felt stupid for falling for a stupid little fricken random green-enveloped letter thing that was probably not even from anyone important… He now had a headache.

Well, twenty-five minutes was long enough to wait; it was time to get up and storm off. He grabbed the sweatshirt he had taken off because this cute restaurant had no idea what a comfortable temperature was, and slipped it on, feeling his head catch in the hole. He paused before growling, tugging furiously at the end of the sweater to pull through to no avail.

"Whoa – quite a conundrum there, huh?"

Sora heard this as hands reached over and pulling the sweater down over his eyes. Sora's eyes were closed, of course; his hair must've looked completely _gorgeous_ after that ordeal –

"There you are."

Sora paused and looked up.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I, uh…had to kind of sneak out…and such…"

It was like one of those really, really mushy reunion moments, where you can hear the grand piano playing some cheesy soft riff behind the rest of the soft noise in the background of some romantic restaurant.

"R…Riku?"

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N:** HAPPY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARYYYYYYYYY! :D:D:D:D  
And Merry Xmas! And Happy New year! DX I missed a lot.

**A few things:**  
-I really did have a report on Othello to do, but it was about 4 movies we watched in class.  
-I did have a Oedipus Rex Trilogy vs. Star Wars comparison Essay to do. It was a bitch.  
-My English teacher rocks my socks.-I hate finals. :D  
-Being a senior = being on top with no respect.

READ/REVIEW/COMMENT...OH, MY KINGDOM FOR FEEDBACK.


	16. Level 16

**A/N:** God, lemons make me procrastinate like a mother fucker. :D

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 16: Begin-

Hands roamed hard against clothed skin, lips crashed and tongues battled for dominance as Riku and Sora both struggled to make it to Riku's bed before giving up and going all out on the damned floor.

"_I've missed you…uh, a lot."  
Sora giggled, "Yeah? I've kind of missed you too…"_

When Riku started grinding his hips desperately against Sora's, it was all the brunet could do but moan and match his grinds perfectly with the same, if not more, desperation the older boy had.

Sora ground his teeth and fisted Riku's shirt when he felt lips move from his own bruising lips down his jaw onto his neck, biting and nipping, eliciting small, needy moans from the younger boy.

"_Why…didn't you tell me? I…I would've done everything to help you! I would have…" Riku trailed off.  
Sora looked him over, sitting across from the older boy at the table.  
"Riku…there wasn't much to do…" He smiled, "It was beyond your power, Riku…"_

Sora let out a breathy moan and nails raked across the skin he had finally uncovered from underneath Riku's shirt. Riku's teeth kneaded already agonizingly _bruised_ skin and for the first time in a long time, Sora  
felt completely h e l p l e s s.

"_I've been…torn apart by this. I realized, well…I need you."  
Sora's smile faltered in the slightest bit.  
"Things will be different…completely different. I'm not… I won't just use you, like I used to think I could get away with…"  
Sora blinked, eyelashes glittering the slightest bit, even with the dark sweatshirt and tattered jeans.  
"I was…s e l f i s h…" _

Sora could feel his heart flutter relentlessly when Riku was finally able to remove his shirt and was scaling his torso with a flicking tongue and endlessly needing hands. Before Riku could trail any lower, and before Sora was not going to be able to stop himself, he flipped the both of them over, straddling the taller boy, looking him over before feeling those needy hands come back to roam over skin and pull him over to kiss the same desperate lips, hips beginning another steady, agonizingly _slow_ rock and Sora couldn't have felt more v u l n e r a b l e…

"_You're apart of me…"_

A hand snuck into the hole of Sora's boxers, causing all movement to suddenly stop and all thoughts to stop and focus on _that, right t h e r e_. Sora moaned, steadying himself on his slacking arms, starting another, involuntary rock of the hips into the hand that knew him oh so fucking well.

_Riku only watched as Sora tried to talk, tried to keep tears from falling from his eyes, as he told his story.  
"I…really haven't been touched by a hand that's loved me, in…in a long time. They're all the same… I-I just can't do that again, I hated it; it was painful, I was humiliated…but I knew there was only one way I could help my mom, and…"  
Sora scrambled suddenly, wiping his eyes on his dampening sleeves. Riku stood then, moving closer the brunet and grabbing one of his hands. Sora's sparkling eyes moved up to the taller boy.  
"Let's get out of here, huh?" _

Sora breathed against Riku's neck, against the hand working his length, against how good it felt to be here and how…how they just couldn't do this.

"R-Riku…" He said, using the lazing muscles in his arms to bring himself to look at the other boy. He continued his rhythm of pumping without a second thought until it was Sora who had to grab his arm and _make_ him stop.

"We…we can't…"

Riku sat up suddenly, "What? Why?"

Sora's eyes were downcast, at his discarded and inside-out shirt. "I have to know… Know for sure, before we do…anything."

Riku, at first, looked up at Sora like he had no idea what he was talking about. When it hit him, though, he did understand, and lay Sora down next to him. Sora's hands covered his shoulders as he watched Riku, only Riku, as he threaded his fingers delicately through his tangled hair, placing a peck on the blue-eyed boy's forehead.

Riku pulled the blankets over the both of them, and stayed quiet. Sora didn't cry like he thought he would; he stayed relatively quiet throughout the night. Riku only held him; being unselfish was going to be harder than he thought.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"He didn't pick up." Axel said, flipping his phone back and stuffing it into his pocket, placing his hands back at the wheel.

Roxas stared out the car window, only half listening to the radio and to Axel's reply. He answered with a sigh, watching his breath fog up the window, noticing just how much fresh snow was falling. He felt Axel's hand ruffle his hair.

"It's okay, he probably went through with it…"

"Yeah." His stare hadn't shifted.

"It was a great idea, you know… Riku's in, uh… He went through with it. Don't worry."

Roxas sighed again. He thought that if Sora wouldn't talk to anyone voluntarily, it would have had to be forced. A blind date invitation inside an envelope of his favorite color was the ultimate turn on, he had heard Sora say a few times, and proclaimed it the best idea ever.

But the lack of communication with the silver-haired teen he had handed the idea over to was making his confidence dwindle.

Maybe he didn't go through with it. Maybe he did, and the two of them were just…busy.

This wasn't getting them anywhere, and there was no use in moping about it. Axel sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose as he pulled up on the street in front of his house. Roxas pulled the latch and opened the door, stopping after he didn't hear Ael open his door to get out of the car. He looked up at the red head; his arm was propped up on the door handle, supporting his head, and his eyes were closed.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stepping back into the car, not even bothering to close the door completely.

Axel sighed. Deeply. He lifted his head and looked Roxas over, blinking twice. Slowly.

"I, uh…I don't think we should spend the night here tonight."

"Is it Akino?"

Axel hesitated. "Yeah. He's, uh, been drinkin'."

Roxas looked down at his shoes. "We could go back to my place, if you want to."

Axel was resting his head again, this time, on the back of the driver's seat. "I've been talking to Reno a lot lately, Rox."

"Yeah?"

"His roommate moved out last week. He offered me the room if I got a job in Midgar."

The blond didn't say anything. He just kept his eyes on his beat up, dirty converse and didn't say a word. Axel started the car, Roxas pulled the door closed, and they drove off.

Roxas glared at his shoes. Life wasn't going his way. Not at all today. He really wanted today to be over with. Axel stayed quiet the whole ride to Roxas's house, the occasional "I know I'm In Trouble" sigh through his nose and curse under his breath at people cutting him off at eleven o'clock at night. He pulled to a halt at the curb in front of the house, and ruffled the younger boy's hair. Roxas didn't like that.

He swatted at Axel's hand, a few times even after he had reeled back and gave the blond a confused look, and glared at him, "Why are you so calm about this moving away from Twilight thing, huh!?"

"Hey, Rox, calm-"

"No! I will not calm down!" He was practically out of his seat, fighting against the seatbelt to get into Axel's face. "Life lately has been one huge fucking mess, and now you want to throw this curveball at me? Oh, Axel, my friend, you have OUTDONE yourself this time!"

Axel arched and eyebrow.

"And I will have you know, Ax-el, that going about this whole situation by myself is COMPLETELY out of the question!"

Axel only could stare, arms at a defensive position in case the blond wanted to slap at him or something.

Instead, he sank back into his seat in a slump, heaving slightly, boring more holes into his shoes with his death-glare. "I…can't have you move, Axel."

Roxas felt Axel's hand tuck itself on his neck, but after the pull to the middle of the car and Axel's lips meeting his, it was a bit of a blur. The two got out of the car casually after the make-out session, walked into Roxas's empty house, went up to Roxas's room and life suddenly was not a fucking mess anymore.

It was like a slow motion sex scene from the movies, slightly blurred in the corners of the screen with an added glow for effect. Roxas closed the door and he had barely enough time to turn around before Axel had him pinned against it, one hand behind the blond's head, the other on his waist, tongue demanding entrance into the younger's mouth. Their bodies pressed together like puzzle pieces, Axel's neck craning that little extra to make it easier to reach, Roxas raking his painted fingernails across the older's shirt.

They parted only to pull Axel's shirt off and then continue, discarding it to the floor and then beginning to work on Roxas's belt. Roxas's hands swept over Axel's revealed skin with a needy sense of desperation as his belt clinked open and suddenly the two were backing up to the bed, Axel leading. His back connected with the comforters without skipping a beat, bringing the blond down with him, still keeping their mouths connected even as he expertly got rid of the younger boy's pants.

Axel moaned as Roxas adjusted himself atop his hips, expertly keeping his lips connected along his neck. Fingers danced lazily across a goose-bumped torso as bigger, stronger hands clasped on the younger boy's waist, kneading hips from slight anticipation, or just to watch Roxas writhe, the blond would never know.

Roxas's fingers tangled in the red happy trail leading into the red-head's boxers, combing through them as he inched his way south. Axel muffled a groan as he did this, slightly adjusting a leg as the button popped and zipper dragged oh so slowly down its trail. His free hand ghosted over the skin on his neck before Roxas pushed himself up and pulled the loosened pants off and tossed them to the floor.

Axel leaned forward and pulled Roxas's shirt off swiftly before turning the two of them over, slightly grinding against the younger boy as he leaned down and put his skillful tongue to good use, knees still holding him up. Roxas shuddered and stifled a moan that was a little less than dignifying that bubbled in his throat as Axel's tongue went _ohgoddothatagain_ there. He raked his bitten nails across toned abs, suddenly ceasing the red head's flicking tongue.

Roxas's hand disappeared into the fabric, grabbing the redhead almost impatiently by the length, making his hips buck and thoughts blur. Roxas began moving his hand gently at first, up and down Axel's member, feeling his breath hitch and body shudder against his own. Axel's breath ran over the blond's neck as his hands gained minds of their own, running tenderly over the sensitive skin on his inner thigh.

Roxas increased his hand's pace, pumping harder.

Axel shuddered again, breath shaky as it turned into lips that pressed against Roxas's skin, his hand coming up and stopping the hand pumping away at his length.

He then tugged at the blond's boxers, which soon came off, along with his own. Roxas reached over to his nightstand for his lotion, Axel's fingers already ghosting over his entrance, and tried not to shudder. He failed miserably, the ripple of which nearly made him drop the bottle onto the floor.

He handed it to Axel before settling back into a comfortable position. This part had always managed to make him blush; the _noises_ he made were incredibly embarrassing. Axel coated the strawberry-scented lotion onto his fingers and set the bottle aside. He looked up at Roxas, his eyes darting across the ceiling and his chest already heaving.

"Are…you okay?"

Roxas' fists that were clenching the blankets suddenly softened and he looked up at the redhead. "Uh…yeah, I'm fine…just, uh…mentally preparing."

Axel's lips curled deviously. "Oh? Well, Roxas, are you preparing for an agonizingly slow release, or a quickie?"

Roxas glared up at the ceiling and sighed. "I'll hit you."

Axel laughed, jerking the boy's legs apart even more, one of them propped onto his shoulder, and pushed a finger into the younger boy's entrance. Roxas' breath hitched and his eyes closed, throat stifling a strangled moan. Axel didn't hesitate after first letting Roxas adjust; soon Roxas was riding three of Axel's long fingers, his body already slick with a thin layer of sweat, his voice cracking with each breathy call of the redhead's name or strained moan. Axel had to be the one to slow the pace and finally retract his fingers; the boy might've gone off without him.

Roxas complied hesitantly with the sudden rush of the world coming back into focus as Axel cleaned off his fingers with a tissue. The blond looked up at the ceiling and swallowed hard. He gripped the bottle of lotion and sat up cross-legged on the bed, squeezing the substance onto his palm, glancing up at Axel, meeting his gaze. Axel then crossed his legs and pulled the blond closer, pressing their lips together, tongue sliding against the other's as a hand suddenly clenched around his member again, tearing him from the kiss to catch his breath.

Roxas pushed himself onto the older male's lap, continuing his slow pumps, lubricating his length. Axel's head tilted toward the ceiling, eyes closed, breath ragged, his hands reaching up to Roxas' shoulders to keep himself upright.

The hand disappeared suddenly; Axel opened his eyes to watch Roxas tower over him, standing on his knees, eyes wide and chest heaving.

The process was a little slow, slightly awkward. He has to guide Axel's member at first, then has to wait for it to stop hurting as it breaks him open; but when it does, the two of them move together, Roxas' shaft traveling the length of Axel's chest with each grind, rise and fall, friction pooling in the pits of their guts. Roxas threw caution to the wind and couldn't stop himself from moaning as he rode the redhead, meeting him half-thrust. He's finally able to reach the sweetspot that made Roxas' thrusts hiccup for a moment, his eyes roll back and his member twitch with need against his chest.

Axel lays back, back not even on the bed anymore, uncrosses his legs and watches, watches as Roxas rides and he can't hold it anymore. He comes and suddenly his back can't hold him up anymore. Roxas does soon after, splatters all over his own legs and Axel's stomach with one last gasp of breath and flicker of eyelashes.

Roxas' legs are wobbly as he helps Axel back onto the bed and grabs a tissue, cleaning him off lazily and tossing it away. They're both panting as Roxas lays next to the taller male on the bed, naked and spent, and doesn't notice when Axel pulls them both up to the head of the bed and pulls the covers over them, or even when he runs his fingers through his hair, just over the ear, and the world goes dark and sleep claims them both.

The next morning, Roxas wakes with crusty eyes and a blinking light on his cell phone he almost misses. He picks it up, sleep still clouding his vision as he flips it open and reads the text message, from eight-something this morning.

_Riku:  
Thanks, Roxas. _

_**/L-C-C\**_

Sora's leg couldn't possibly flip out any more than it was doing right now. He was sure it wasn't even his muscles spasming on its own accord; he was just nervous as hell sitting at the kitchen table across from his mother, who's fingers were drumming against the table. Riku only sat to Sora's left as quietly as possible.

"So...this money earning deal."

Sora chuckled keeping his eyes down on the tiled floor. "Yeah. I…-" He took a breath, "There has never been a carwash, mom… I made that up to cover up what I've really been doing."

Her eyebrow raised. "I'm listening."

Sora sighed heavily, banging his head against the table as he laid it down. "I worked at a strip club. Then I became a companion… with benefits."

"A what?"

Hs head shot up, "You know; a concubine? Harlot? Courtesan?"

She was still confused-looking.

"A prostitute, Mom… A whore."

Mayuka looked at Sora with a different look; an _unreadable_ look. She sat up straight in her chair, crossed her arms on the table, and looked down at the floor. Sora looked at Riku, and Riku was looking at the shiny salt and pepper shakers on the table…

"Really."

Both Sora and Riku jumped. Sora looked at her before nodding and running a nervous hand through his hair.

"You've been letting old hairy men touch you? For money?" Her eyes narrowed instantly, "Do you know how _illegal_ that is!?"

"Yes, Mom-"

"Where do these disgusting people live!? I'll have them all put in prison the rest of their lives! And you!" She pointed to Riku, his head shooting up and eyes wide. Like a puppy's.

"What's your view on all this? You didn't try to-"

"He didn't know, Mom, don't blame him." Her eyes flashed toward Sora.

"I broke up with Riku right before this all started. He had no idea. Only Roxas knew-"

"And he didn't do anything?" She was getting hysterical.

"He tried, I was just too stubborn. I… I needed to help you, that was the only reason why I did it… It was stupid, but it's done, and it won't be done a second time. I promise."

By this time, Mayuka was back in her seat, tears already welling at the corners of her eyes.

"And this is…" She paused to use a tissue to wipe her eyes. "Over with…right? No more street walking at night and letting old men touch you?"

"Right. Its all…over with." Sora ran a hand through his hair.

Mayuka sniffled a few times as she fixed her makeup. "So, what do you suggest we do now, kiddo?"

"We should go to the free clinic." He said flatly, only glancing up between his mother and Riku.

"Very good." She said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "That's a nice first step, Sora."

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

**A/N:** Roxas talking properly = Author Reading Angels and Demons and LOVING it too much.

"They stole his _eye?_"

LAWL Dan Brown is mah hero :D

GAWD THAT MOVIE CHOPPED IT UP.

Beta'd be Kinoma-chan :D


	17. Level 17

A/N: I have an idea, and it just came to me, and it'll be awesome.

**Life's Cheat Code**

-Level 17: Begin-

The needle hurt only a little, and Riku's hand was there for him to squeeze with the first tiny prick.

Then the nurse missed the vein and that was when it _really_ hurt.

"Did you know you were O negative? That's rare." The nurse said, fiddling with the bag of fresh blood and closing it.

Sora only hummed as an answer, rubbing sorely at the dinosaur band aid at the inner part of his elbow. Riku patted his shoulder and handed him his jacket.

"So, you will be tested for the works, then?"

"Uh…yeah."

She was kind of peppy. Like, two Rockstars, a Redbull, and a few Monsters worth of peppy. Especially at 7 in the morning, before school even started. Finals were coming up for the end of the first semester; if he even had a prayer of passing his classes decently, Sora was going to have to study like a maniac.

He filled out a little more paperwork and then they both were out the door. The two of them stayed relatively quiet when they got into Riku's car and were off to drop the brunet at school.

"I'm glad that's out of the way." Riku said, laughing. Sora only nodded with a sigh.

"What's…wrong?"

"I'm worried." He said plainly, a hint of sanity in his voice. "I mean, what happens if I have something? Something, I don't know, untreatable, or chronic, or-"

"You don't."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "I…don't?"

"No, you don't have a thing."

"...You don't know that."  
"…Sora, what do you think I do at community college all day? Bite my nails?"

"Well," Sora looked down at his shoes. "Calculus?"

The second bell rang.

"And…?"

Sora shrugged.

"Physiology."

Sora blinked again. "Human body and disease. You want to be a doctor."

"Exactly. And you don't have too many of the outward symptoms of any of the STD's I've studied." He smiled.

Sora leaned forward, kissing him tenderly on the lips and jumped out of the car with his backpack. "Um…" He said, holding his door open. "I love you."

Riku smiled. "I love you too. Go to school."

Sora laughed and shut the car door. He hustled off to first period, opened the door, and was met with the eyes of everyone in the room. Including the teacher's.

"I'm glad you are here to grace us with your presence for a second day in a row, Mr. Haruna, but class starts at 7:45, not 7:52."

Sora rolled his eyes and dropped himself into his seat. It was going to be a long day.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Four hours went by like ninety, and it was finally lunch time. Sora was starving.

After fighting his way around the people who cut in line and got to the front, he got his lunch and scrambled out of the way. That was one thing he did not miss about high school: it was like Darwinism or something.

He didn't even get a tray; they had run out right before he got to the front of the line. Lame. He wandered through the quad to find somewhere to sit, when something had caught his eye; something familiar, something…blond. Some_one_ blond.

Roxas was in a different food line; a more orderly one. And he was at the front and already coming out. They got the same little chicken burger thing.

Roxas didn't see him at first. But when he looked up, already taking a bite out the cheap chicken-patty-and-wheat-bun thing, he stopped. Then he took his bite, chewed, swallowed, and smiled.

"Hey." Roxas said as he shuffled his feet and took another small bite of his sandwich. He glanced from the concrete to the sandwich to Sora, waiting for his reply.

Sora only smiled. It wasn't a goofy, retard smile like Roxas was expecting, but one of those smiles only Sora has that could melt an iceberg. His head was tilted, his eyes sparkled, and his lips only parted for a split second before he wrapped his arms around Roxas. It was so sudden that both disgusting chicken-things were on the ground, and after Sora sniffled in his ear, Roxas hugged back.

The rest of school was a giddy mess. Roxas agreed that there were quite a few things for them to talk about after school and to meet at Sora's house. He was almost ecstatic in sixth period.

After the final bell he raced home. His feet were still sore as fuck, and his chucks sogged through to his socks, but he couldn't have cared less; he was getting his life back.

Roxas hadn't arrived at the house when Sora did. The brunet unlocked the door and ran a warm bath for his toes, which of course felt like they were melting off rather than warming up.

He was toweling them off when the doorbell rang. His heart thundered along with his feet down the stairs and almost skidded to a halt at the door. He opened it and found Roxas shivering outside.

His teeth chattered too much to talk. Sora brought him inside and gave him a blanket and some hot chocolate which was really hot chocolate milk from the microwave. He made another cup for himself

"So, you, and Axel…bumped uglies." Sora said after Roxas had stopped shivering long enough to give him the big news.

"Uh, yeah…" Roxas put the blanket on the counter that stood between the two boys. "A…couple of times."

"So, that makes it official then. You're gay."

Roxas glanced up accusingly.

"Unless you still like girls…?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Um… I don't think so." The blond scratched his head. "I think me liking guys isn't just a phase anymore."

Sora smiled. "Well…good to know. Details?"

"Uh, no." Roxas picked up his head, "How is Riku?"

"He's been busy lately." Sora stirred the steaming chocolate milk with a spoon absently. "He's having finals at the JC and, well… he's suddenly so motivated to pass all of his classes."

"It's because you're talking to him again, I think." Roxas gulped down the last bit of his drink.

Sora scoffed. "God, could you get any cheesier? Besides, I know that, but…" He shook his head, "It's just…a good thing that he remembers what he's working for."

"Oh yeah, and I'm cheesy." Roxas laughed, rinsing the cup and putting it into the sink. He sat back on the stool next to the counter and sighed. "Finals are coming up for us too, yanno."

"Yup. I'm not worried though." Sora took a drink. "And next June, we'll be graduates." He smiled at the blond and the whisper of a laugh escaped him. "It's like everything is going back to normal already."

"We still need to redo your iPod. I refuse to affiliate with people who listen to Hawthorne Heights." He hopped off the stool and began toward the stairs. "C'mon, I know some cool techno you'll like."

Sora smiled and followed the blond up the stairs.

_**/L-C-C\**_

"You have to tell him. I can't believe he hasn't gotten a clue yet."

"Look, I know, but it's really not that easy. It's Roxas, it's harder than just out telling him 'Roxy, baby, I'm a hopeless pothead. Do you still love me?'" Axel grunted in frustration. "God, I almost wish I didn't like him so much."

"Have you heard back from that ride operator job in Midgar yet?" Riku was sitting at his desk, not facing the pacing redhead, face glued to the screen of his mac. His itunes was playing some song by Green Day softly from its' tiny speakers.

Axel threw himself on Riku's bed, scowling up at his ceiling. "Yeah, I have an interview in, like, two weeks… Oh fuck, what if they drug test?"

"Then let the detox begin, my friend." He didn't look up from the book. "If you don't tell him soon, he'll notice how moody you get off the chronic."

"Ugh, I know, I know!"

The song changed suddenly to Hoobastank. When Axel started singing along the words of Disappear, Riku rolled a few inches away from his desk, and looked at Axel with an eyebrow arched. "Hoobastank. Hoobastank, Axel."

"Roxas has it on his iPod, what do you want from me?" He continued singing…worse than before.

"I wouldn't mind it if you had any singing talent." He rolled back to the desk and continued his work.

"…Roxas thinks I sing just fine."

"And that's all that matters, Axel." Riku propped an arm up on his desk and sighed. He changed the song to hopefully stop Axel's howling. _Sucking on my titties like you wanted me, calling me, all the time like "blondie check out my prissy behind, its' fine all of the time"_

Axel jumped off the bed, "Like sex on the beaches. What else is in the teaches of peaches? Huh, what?"

It was then that Riku also learned that Axel couldn't really dance, either.

_**/L-C-C\**_

It might have taken all night, but Roxas had managed to delete and replace all 3,753 songs from Sora's itunes plus another 9,000 techno songs Sora had never heard of. It was a 160 GB iPod – he had the space.

Luckily, Yori was awake at 4am that morning to come and pick Roxas up to get ready for school in a few hours. Roxas hadn't actually seen his mother in almost two weeks because of her crazy work schedule.

Having only about two hours of sleep, Sora was an exhausted mess as he trudged his way to school. His chucks were soaked through to his socks, his hair was a mess, and he thought he saw a pimple this morning on his way out the door, but he still managed a grin as he made his way to the campus.  
At lunch, Sora and Roxas were in the quad with their imitation chicken sandwiches, talking about the odd array of songs on Sora's ipod.

"I like that one boat song. T-Pain really beefs it up with his auto-tune."

" I thought you'd like it. Have you gotten to any of the Psychostick songs yet?" Roxas asked as he took a sip of his chocolate milk.

"Not quite. But I probably will by sixth period." He chuckled after chomping on his sandwich.

Roxas put down his carton of milk when he felt his phone vibrate. He picked it out of his pocket – a text message. From Axel.

He flipped it open discretely and read to himself, picking up the carton of milk again and sipping absently.

_hey so we need to talk. im picking you up tonight a little after 6. Love you :) _

When Roxas heard the straggled sounds of straw sipping air, he knew it was a sign.

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

A/N: So for the sake of updating, here is an update :D  
Uh so, a few things.  
I'm in college now, which means probably even less updates. But I really want to finish this fic so I can…not work on them anymore. LOL

REVIEW PLEASE KTHXBYE.


	18. Level 18

A/N: Last chapter was kinda bad looking back at it D: So here's a better one. :D

**Life's Cheat Code******

**-Level 18: Begin-**

Despite intentions otherwise, Roxas thought that the stay at Axel's father's house had been…uneventful. Mostly what had happened was the two of them idly chatted about the goings on in their lives in the few days they had spent apart (Mostly Roxas talking about Sora _this_, Sora _that_) and a two-hour movie that both boys fell asleep to up in Axel's room.

Roxas had briefly woken up to hear Akino shuffle down the stairs early in the morning to head off to work before going back to sleep.

It was Saturday morning. They had woken up slowly and teasingly before heading downstairs.

Roxas sat attentively across from Axel at the dirty kitchen table that sat in the middle of Axel's father's house, looking up at the redhead. Axel had his eyes pinned to the dingy floor that was in desperate need of sweeping and with a sigh, he placed one arm on the table and finally met eyes with the blond boy.

"I smoke pot."

Roxas shifted slightly, not breaking their eye contact. "Yeah, okay. So, what?"

"Like, all the time."

Roxas stared. "Okaaay…and?"

Axel perked up. "…Does that bother you?"

Roxas scoffed, "Well, I just already knew that. What, you thought I would never catch on?"

Axel lowered his gaze. "Look, I only wanted to tell you because I knew you wouldn't like the thought of me-"

"You're right, I don't like the thought. But I think if I ask you to stop…" Axel looked back up at Roxas.

"…I don't know. So I just don't ask. It doesn't bother me, anyway. "

"If you ask me to stop, you think I'll leave you."

Roxas glanced up and down quickly. He couldn't stand the thought of Axel walking out of his life, especially knowing he was already moving to Midgar. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their relationship if he had the choice not to.

Roxas didn't need to answer.

"Well, that would be a dumb reason to break up." Axel was up out of his seat and had a hand cupped around the blond's face and brought it up to his own.

"You can ask me to make the world stop turning and I would do it."

Roxas locked eyes with the redhead.

"You're so gay, Axel." Roxas giggled before reaching up and kissing the taller male.

Axel suddenly jumped away from the blond, jumping excitedly. "Oh, oh, oh! Guess what, guess what, guess what!"

Roxas jumped up from his seat and jumped in time with the redhead. "What, what, what!"

"I have an interview in two weeks for a theme park that's opening up in Midgar!" Axel shouted.

"Awesome!" Roxas shouted back, wrapping his arms around Axel as they jumped.

The two stopped jumping after a moment, giggling like schoolgirls. And then Axel's face fell and his body slumped.

"Oh, but that means I'm also detoxing…"

"Oh, poor baby," Roxas said, walking to the couch and picking up his jacket. "Can we get ice cream?"

Axel turned to him with his shoulders hunched over. "It's 12 degrees outside."

"Then how about hot chocolate? Anything to get out of the house."

Axel perked up and grabbed his coat. "NOW you're talking."

_**/L-C-C\**_

Sora stood in the doorframe of his house, unable to move, despite the bone-chilling winter wind gusting by him and through the living room. His pajama pants whipped in the wind as he stared at the yellow envelope peeking out of the mailbox and taunting him slowly.

Sora grabbed it and the other mail from the box after a few moments and closed the door. He trudged to the kitchen table and made eye contact with Mayuka.

"Why'd you leave the door open for so long?"

Sora hesitated, putting some of the letters addressed to resident and his mother on the table as she read the newspaper. "I, uh, thought I saw someone I knew."

"Oh," she started before opening a pen with the cap in her mouth and circling an ad, "well, I'd better get going. I have three interviews today."

Sora smiled, dropping the last letter and tucking the envelope behind his legs. "That's great."

"Two CAD positions and a receptionist job at the Yahoo building downtown." She giggled to herself as she danced into the kitchen. Sora headed for the stairs when Mayuka stopped him, popping out of the kitchen. "Soraaaa?"

Sora cringed. "Yeeeess?"

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know, just…getting ready to go…out. And do…stuff."

Mayuka quirked and eyebrow and brought the rest of her body out of the kitchen to cross her arms. "You're staying away from…"

"Yes, of course."

"Because if any of those bastards come around here I'm coming after them with a bat. You understand?"

Sora scoffed. "You won't have to, I'll go after them with the bat, Mom."

Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "I've already gotten in touch with the police and the DA. An officer is coming today to get a report, okay? They're going to get their asses handed to them for putting a minor out on the streets like that."

"I know, but… I did what I had - "

"_No_, Sora, you did not have to resort to doing that." Her eyes flashed as she struck the wall with fist. "People like them are sick, and they pulled you in; you are the victim, Sora, and they will get what they deserve for what happened to my baby." She started tearing up, her body trembling with rage.

"Ugh, I can't smear my damn makeup," she said before disappearing into the kitchen for a paper towel.

Sora followed her, setting the envelope on the table. He set a hand on her back in comfort and sighed.

"And I know those are your test results."

"What…?" Sora snapped up, eyes wide. There was no way in the world that she could have known about him getting tested.

She sniffled before drying another tear. "I'm really glad you did that." She turned to him sternly, grabbing his shoulders tightly and locking their gaze.

"If they catch anything, Sora, it will be okay. We can handle whatever - "

"_Mom_, I get it. It will be okay. This is getting really awkward - "

"How many people touched you, Sora? They need names. How many times a week?" She was going around the kitchen now, making her peanut butter sandwich lunch for the day.

"Mom - "

"Did you have sex with any of them? People today are just so fucking sick, it's ridiculous - "

"_Mom -_"

"Ugh, those people are going to burn in Hell a thousand times over for - "

"Mom! Stop! _Please._"

Mayuka was silent, smearing the peanut butter angrily on the bread, avoiding Sora's eyes.

"Look, I got names and faces. I did some weird shit, and I'm not happy about it, but can we please stop talking about it? Don't let it ruin your day; don't let it go through your head during your interviews."

Mayuka stopped smearing the peanut butter, and sighed, angrily and slowly.

"I'm trying not to. But I will be angry about this for the rest of my life. Even if they get what's coming to them, I will never be able to forgive something like that."

Mayuka finished the sandwich and tucked it into a bag.

"I know, Mom…"

"Well…what are you waiting for? Go open that envelope. Call me with the results." She turned around and smiled at him.

"Okay mom." Sora replied, kissing her cheek, grabbing the envelope as he headed up the stairs, his heart pounding.

"Break a leg today!" he shouted behind him before hearing the front door close.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Despite being in his room for the past hour, Sora was hesitant about opening the yellow envelope that held his fate.

He turned the idea over in his head. What if he had every disease known to man? He'd have to be euthanized or something so he wouldn't pollute the earth with his infections. What if he had something completely irreversible and fatal?

He didn't want to open it – not alone, anyway. He picked up his phone and dialed a number he knew well.

_**/L-C-C\**_

It was another hour before Riku actually got to Sora's doorstep. Sora was waiting for him, occasionally peeking out from the blinds until he saw the car pull up. He ran outside without any shoes on, kissed the silver haired boy on the cheek, and let himself be carried back to the house.

Sora had the envelope sitting on the table in the living room. Riku set him down, and Sora led him by the hand to the couch. When the brunet sat down, he couldn't take his eyes off of it.

"So," Riku began, holding the envelope with two fingers and looking at it. "You need _me_ to open it?"

Sora nodded. "Its kind of menacing to think about right now. I can't do it."

Riku nudged the metal prong open, but stopped when he felt a hand on his arm.

"Wait…"

Sora took his hand away and sighed. "I… Just read it to yourself first. And whatever that paper says-"

"Sora. You used protection, right? With _everyone,_ right?" Riku pulled the envelope away from his face for a moment and looked the brunet over.

"Yes."

"No mishaps, no busts. Right?"

"…Right."

"_Riiiight?_" Riku lifted an eyebrow.

"Right, right!" Sora shook his head, coming out of his daze. "I used condoms, each and every time, and nothing failed. But…there's always that thought in the back of my head, telling me there's…something wrong. Just… just tell me what it says, okay?"

Riku smiled, turning his attention back to the envelope. "Okay."

Sora hid his face in a pillow as Riku slowly slipped the concealed paper out and glanced at it. His eyes scanned the paper scrupulously before giving a heaved sigh, making Sora cry out.

"I have everything, don't I!"

"Well," Riku began, pointing to the paper. "It says here that the tested you for gonoherpasyphilaids, and…"

Sora looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed together. "What the fuck…?"

"It says you're actually negative for everything. I was screwing with you. They tested for the basics, and-"

The lips pressing to his own was what cut Riku off. Sora wrapped his arms around the older boy's neck and pulled him close. He felt Riku's lips pull up into a smile before he pulled his neck back and smiled himself.

"Do you need proof?"

"No, I trust you. Unless you're lying to me just to get into my pants?"

"Always," Riku said, easily laying himself on top of the other boy and pressing kisses to his neck. Sora sighed into Riku's ear, making him shiver.

When the doorbell rang, Riku found himself suddenly on the floor.

Sora scrambled to his feet. "Uh, sorry! It must be the attorney. I have to talk to him about our case for a bit. Um… it might be best if you stayed in my room?"

Riku groaned, getting himself up into a sitting position. He must have smacked into the coffee table, because his side ached like he was stabbed. Sora ran up to the door and fixed his hair before turning the handle and greeting the man outside.

Riku hurried upstairs, despite his aching side. He hid himself at the top of the stairs and listened to their hour long conversation about what Sora had been doing all this time. About his mother's money issues and how Sora didn't know any other way to help. He talked about the many, _many_ men he had been with, and gave him names and addresses. He talked about Rufus Shinra and Felicity. He heard Sora choke back tears at a few points and all he wanted to do was make it all go away.

Riku sighed silently, not knowing what to think. When he heard the attorney and Sora exchange goodbyes, Riku hurried into Sora's room and casually laid himself onto the bed, closing his eyes and evened out his breathing.

Sora opened the door with a loud groan and slumped on top of the silver haired boy. Riku chuckled and wrapped his arms around the brunet's thin frame.

Sora held himself up by his elbows. "I knew you were listening."

Riku was only half surprised. "Well, I wanted to know."

"It know. I wish it was just a little bit prettier, but…"

"It's okay. Its behind you now."

"Yeah… I guess."

_**/L-C-C\**_

"I have a brilliant idea." Axel said, sipping at the last of his hot chocolate.

Roxas perked up next to him. They were sitting on a bus stop bench in the middle of the snow-drenched sidewalk.

"What's that?" Roxas asked.

"We should go down to that hell-hole that Sora crawled out of… and we should blow it up."

"Really, now?" Roxas raised an eyebrow. He took a gulp of his hot chocolate and turned to the redhead. "You know how to make explosives?"

"Roxas, we have the internet. We can make anything we want," he chuckled, tossing his empty cup into the trash can near the bench.

"Let's go see Sora. I'll bet this plan of yours will make him laugh. He went to the clinic recently, did I tell you?"

Axel stood up and stretched his long limbs. "For what?"

"Getting tested for…stuff." Roxas was already walking toward the parking lot.

"Oh. Well…I hope he's okay." Axel came up after the blond and draped an arm over his shoulders. They climbed into the car together and drove off.

Roxas already had the phone pressed to his ear. "Soraaaaaa, come _onnnnn_. Well, we're coming over, no matter what the heck you're doing! Prepare yourself!" He closed is phone. "He didn't answer."

"I guess not. That's okay. We'll surprise him."

_**/L-C-C\**_

Riku dropped down suddenly next to Sora on the bed, his hair sticking to his forehead and his breathing coming in gasps. Sora was equally spent, still riding the waves of an orgasm he was sure he had about a minute ago.

"How…many…times…?" Riku breathed, curling up closer to the brunet and closing his eyes.

"Four… I think." Sora said, catching his breath and feeling his muscles already stiffening from soreness. He grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and attempted lazily to clean off his torso, throwing the tissue in the general direction of the trash can.

"I need a shower." Sora stood and walked over to his dresser, pulling the top drawer open as he searched for a pair of socks before warm arms snaked around him and pulled him away from it.

"How about one more for the road?" Riku coaxed, his hand already slithering down Sora's stomach, making him shiver.

Just when Riku was about to wrap his hand around the brunet boy's member, the doorbell rang.

Sora groaned, slumping his body and began looking for his boxers.

"Why are you so popular today?" Riku asked, already fitting his pants back on and looking around for his shirt.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else. Just wait up here; if it's a Jehovah's Witness, I'll need your help in chasing them down the street." Sora said, pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt.

Riku chuckled. "That would be hilarious." He set himself down on the bed while Sora opened his bedroom door and trotted down the stairs.

He grabbed the handle and turned, pulling open the door slowly to see the visitor. He glanced up at the tall, bald man standing on his porch and suppressed his urge to gasp.

He would recognize Rude anywhere.

"What do you want?" Sora said, keeping the door only cracked open. He eyed the bald man warily, and could feel Rude eyeing him back despite the black Ray Bans.

"I have a message from Mr. Shinra," he began, his stance stiff and business-like. "He offers his apologies."

Sora lifted an eyebrow.

"He doesn't want this mishap to disrupt your…business together." Rude reached into his coat pocket fluidly, bringing out an envelope. "He's offering to pay for any…damages. Inside this envelope is a blank check."

Rude handed the plain white letter-sized envelope to the brunet. Sora took it shakily. He stared in disbelief at the back, realizing the lid was not even sealed.

"Mr. Shinra also has another message." Rude said, only continuing when the brunet looked up at him. "He wants to offer you your original job back. On the catwalk, with double the pay."

Sora looked back down at the envelope. He turned it over in his hands, already losing the feeling in his fingers and when his eyes landed on the imprint of his name written in fancy cursive script on the front, he broke.

"I don't want his fucking money," he hissed, ripping the envelope in two.

"I don't want his sympathy," Sora ripped the halved envelope into fourths.

"I never want to see his fucking face, or _yours_, ever again!" Sora ripped the papers a third time, throwing shredded papers at the tall man's chest. Rude did not flinch.

"Hey, buddy."

The voice came from behind them. Rude turned his body to the side, allowing both of them to see Axel and Roxas standing in the walkway.

"What kind of business do you think you have here?" Axel said, his arms firmly crossed. Roxas stood at his side, his hands balled into fists and his eyes narrowed into a death-stare.

"Actually, I was just leaving." Rude said, his voice still calm and collected. He adjusted the lapels on his coat and cleared his throat. "Thank you for your time."

He began walking down the cement pathway, but stopped when Axel stood in his way. Sora watched, suddenly noticing his heart beating wildly as Axel glared at Rude straight through his sunglasses.

"We'll see you in court," he whispered, stepping aside slowly to let the bald man through. He paused briefly before walking down the path and driveway to his limousine.

The three of them didn't take their eyes off of him until he had driven down the street. Sora made a small noise when he felt Riku's hands on his shoulders, pulling him away from the doorframe as the other two boys entered the house.

Sora only nodded when Riku asked if he was okay. His body was numb and head ringing suddenly - he couldn't feel when they walked him over to the couch and set him down. He didn't feel it when Roxas wrapped his arms around him and stroked his hair. He didn't feel it when Riku sat on his other side and held his hand while Axel tried to find something on the television in front of them.

He was thinking. He thought about how awful the last few months had been. He thought about what he had put the other three boys through and how it all had gotten him nowhere. He thought about how he wanted to wrap his fingers tightly around the thick neck of Rufus Shinra and squeeze until his knuckles turned white and his fingers were about to break.

He thought about how he pushed everyone away and had nightmares of never escaping the lifestyle. He thought about how, even though he pushed and pushed, Roxas still came back and made amends. He thought about how Riku was so distraught for so long, and how he welcomed Sora back even before Sora knew he was coming out of it. He remembered how the ones closest to him came through when he was sure it was hopeless.

He hadn't realized some time had gone by before he came back to reality. South Park was flashing on the television when he looked over at Axel in the chair, staring lazily and offering a chuckle at one of the jokes.

Sora noticed Roxas asleep on his right shoulder and freed his arm to pull the younger boy close. Roxas shifted to accommodate the movement, snuggling closer and sighing contently.

Sora felt Riku move on his left and turned to look at him. Their cupped hands were warm when Sora moved his fingers, giggling when Riku wiggled his in response and brought their noses together.

Sora looked back at the television with a sigh and felt energy rush through him like a flood. He jumped up suddenly, startling everyone in the room as he dashed down the hall and dug out a board game from the closet.

No one needed much convincing to sit down at the coffee table and set up the dominoes for a game of Mexican Train.

Soon they were all laughing and Sora, for the first time in a long while, felt like he belonged in this moment.

This was what he needed. Just Riku, Roxas, and Axel.

_+Insert Coin To Continue?+_

A/N: Almost done. ALMOST Done…

I love dubstep. And Skrillex. HUUUUMAGAWD.

And the lovely Beta-job is courtesy of ilovecats86. :D


	19. SECRET LEVEL

**Life's Cheat Code****  
****-SECRET LEVEL: Begin-**

"So, Rox," Sora started just before chucking what was in his hand at the broken building before them. It managed to shatter the glass of a window. Sora chuckled.

"Yeah?" Roxas mimicked Sora's move, but only managed to splatter an egg at around the top of the building.

"When are you leaving, anyways?" Sora turned the egg over in his hand, aiming carefully at the broken sign before executing. He still missed.

"In, like, an hour or so."

"Why so late?"

Roxas only shrugged. Both boys looked back at the empty egg carton and sighed. Sora absently picked up the cardboard carton and tossed it into a nearby trashcan as they walked past an alleyway that Sora knew all too well.

Sora jumped when he found a perfect rock. He turned back to their artwork, and hurled it toward the building. When the rock collided with the F of the sign, it instantly toppled to the ground with a loud crash.

Sora dusted his hands in amusement.

"For a week, huh?" Sora said, kicking the sidewalk as they walked.

"Yeah. You gonna miss me?"

"You have nooooo idea," Sora said as they rounded a corner. "Course, I won't miss you until, like, three days from now. I'm meeting Riku later."

"Sweet."

Spring semester had gone by quickly. The summer heat had come early this year, too, already baking Twilight Town in weather pushing one hundred degrees.

The court dates had come and gone. It was tough, but with Sora and Zidane testifying, they had managed to pull through and win the case, earning Rufus Shinra a comfy jail cell, and a nice start to Sora's college fund.

They stopped at the corner at which they needed to part ways. Sora half-heartedly remembered coming to this corner on the day they saw Riku and Axel for the first time in the arcade on the metal dance floor of the DDR machine.

"Well, I guess-" Roxas started before being cut off by Sora's arms wrapping around him suddenly. Roxas immediately complied, snaking his arms around the taller boy's middle and nestling his forehead under Sora's chin.

"I'm going to miss you," Sora said, his voice barely above a whisper. Roxas pulled the brunet closer to him.

"It's only a week; I'll be back before you know it," Roxas assured before taking his arms off of the older boy and looking up at him. "Don't be a baby."

Sora half-smiled and looked down at the sidewalk. "Well … it'll be long enough. When you get back, we'll go to the beach or something. Okay?" Sora turned around in the direction of his home.

"Okay, sounds good." Roxas watched as the brunet began walking away for a few moments before turning in the opposite direction, his feet already picking up speed into a run.

It was only about a twenty minute walk before Sora was at his own door, turning the unlocked handle and stepping inside.

"Mooooooom, I'm home," he called before taking his shoes off and starting up the stairs. His mother's voice came from the kitchen.

"Hi, honey! I made you a sandwich!"

"Thanks, I'll be down in a sec!" he answered, already at his bedroom door. He changed out of his sweaty t-shirt, and pulled on a slim, black tank top before trotting back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"How was work?" he asked before taking a bite of the peanut butter and jelly.

"Oh, it was okay. They mostly had me at the phones, so I sat down a lot." Mayuka was washing dishes.

"Don't you love the hours, though?" Sora asked, taking another bite.

"I like getting off early, yes," she chuckled.

"Okay Mom, I have to go now. I'll be back home later," Sora said, already heading out the door.

"Okay Sora," she said absently. Sora closed the door behind him, still half a sandwich in his hand, and started marching toward the Sovereign Arcade.

_**/L-C-C\**_

Roxas knew that he didn't like the bus. He hated sitting next to smelly strangers and listening to other people's conversations while they talked loudly on their cell phones, the mothers with their noisy children.

Today was quiet, though. He picked this particular time because he knew no one was going to take the bus at eight o'clock at night on a Sunday. He stuffed the luggage carrier with a duffle bag before closing the lid and stepping onto the bus.

And at least the driver was nice. They had a conversation about sandwiches or something when Roxas sat down. The bus wasn't due to leave for another seven minutes.

Only a few more people got on before the bus roared to life and pulled away from the station. Roxas settled down in a seat to himself and watched as Twilight Town faded into the background.

Axel had moved to Midgar after all. He had gotten the job and was renting the apartment with Reno somewhere in the downtown area. Roxas had only been there a few times, but it was all it took for him to memorize the way. He knew the bus had a short layover in Kalm, and from there it would only be another hour or so, depending on the traffic.

The bus rides made him more anxious than anything else. Now that it was the summer before Roxas became a senior in high school, he had planned out many trips to Midgar and packed for extensive stays.

This was his way of getting away from Sora, too. His ever-growing feelings for the brunet subsided when he was around Axel. Despite what they had been through together, he couldn't shake how sometimes he needed to see Sora so badly it hurt.

He thought about it many, many times during his bus rides. He was sure he wasn't in love with him, that he was getting closer to saying those three words confidently to Axel. He was certain it was only a need that he couldn't believe he still had; he was certain that he would be over his silly high school puppy-love.

But Sora was different. Sora was more than puppy love. Roxas knew that, and hated to admit it, and it was going to take time to snuff it out.

He snapped back to reality suddenly when the bus halted jerkily and people were lining up to get off. Roxas absently picked up his bag and already had his phone to his ear.

"Yeah, I'm here," he said, his hand wrapping around the handle of the duffle bag, and hauling it off to the side of the small crowd of people.

"_So I'll be there in, like, ten minutes-"_

"Ten minutes? What the hell? You said you'd be here. I really don't want to sit around here and look like-"

"Jesus, can't you take a joke?" Axel teased, his voice clearly not coming from the phone receiver. Roxas giggled when the redhead came up from behind him and hoisted him up off the ground and into an awkward hug.

Axel let the boy's feet touch ground after a moment and ruffled his hair. Roxas picked up the duffle bag and followed Axel to his car, flushed slightly.

Roxas talked about his increasing GPA at school while Axel talked about how well he is adjusting to his job on the way to the apartment. Roxas knew they had a week to talk about these things, but he didn't want to stop when they were together. He felt like every waking moment had to be savored because he knew their time together was short.

"You know, I would never come all this way for just anybody."

Axel chuckled. "Um, yeah, I figured." They were still only about half way to the apartment.

"Because, you know, there aren't too many people in this world that I love as much as you, either." Roxas felt his cheeks heat up.

"Well, I kinda really love you too, Roxas." Axel ran a hand lovingly through the blond's hair.

Roxas took Axel's long, bony hand in his and he knew: it wasn't going to get any better.

_**/L-C-C\**_

The bass to this Japanese song was crazy compared to the normal songs on Dance, Dance Revolution, Sora noticed as his feet shuffled eagerly to match the arrows flowing upward on the screen and sweat gathered on his brow.

A crowd had formed around them at some point during their long set list, possibly between Destiny and a song Sora couldn't remember the name of. They cheered as the song suddenly jumped to a halt. Sora leaned his body against the back railing, and swiped lazily at his damp hair. He watched as the screen flashed a bright blue A+ on his side of the screen, and giggled when the other side read only an A.

Riku groaned from Sora's side. Sora looked over at the silver haired boy just as he stepped off of the machine and headed over to the door to leave. Sora bounced off after him, earning groans of protest from the crowd.

"Rikuuu, when will you learn?" Sora teased as he caught up to the taller male, taking his hand tenderly in his own and lacing their fingers. "I'll always be the best at those kinds of games."

"Well, now we have all summer to see if you'll stay on top of it," Riku said, pushing the brunet gently off to the side.

"You mean you have all summer to stay on top of your biology, Mr. University-Man." Sora re-laced their fingers and continued walking along side the silver-haired boy.

Riku was able to graduate with honors in the past spring semester. His applications were sent out to all the medical universities in the area, and before Riku could even pick which one to attend in the fall, the acceptance letters came rolling in.

"Oh, I can start that crap in a month – after I have successfully beaten you at your own game!" Riku tightened his grip on the other boy's hand and swung it in front of him, taking Sora with it. His arms were suddenly around the giggling brunet, his laughing only subsiding when their gazes locked. Riku's eyes darkened slightly before his lips pressed chastely against Sora's for a moment.

Sora chuckled as he straightened himself, still bound to the other boy. "Did you want to go to the beach sometime? Or camping – just you, me, Roxas, and maybe Axel?"

"Sure – like old times," he answered, reminiscing slightly before letting the brunet free and continuing along the sidewalk.

Sora skipped up next to him, again taking Riku's hand in his as they walked. "No alcohol this time, though; we have to support Roxas."

"Of course."

They were in silence now, their fingers still firmly locked together. Sure, they were stared at, talked about as soon as they walked by and were out of earshot (sometimes before), but they didn't care. What they had was bigger than what the gossipers could understand. What they had been through would have crumbled any other relationship into tiny bits, but they had managed to pull through and still able to keep the love going.

Sora smiled to himself. Usually he liked to live in the moment, but after everything that had happened, all he could think about was the future. They had all been through so much, but now that the dust settled from the chaos, what was lying ahead of them didn't seem so out of touch.

And to think: this all started on a dance floor with arrows on it.

_+Game Over: HIGH SCORE!+_

**A/N**: This story was published on August 3rd of 2006, and five years later, it finally comes to a close.

I can safely say it was well overdue, and probably not worth the wait. Either way, I'm glad this rollercoaster is over. :D

Beta'd by ilovecats86 :D

OH THANK GODS D:


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